College pole vaulter Chase Kear of Colwich, Kansas suffered traumatic brain injuries when he fell on his head during track practice in 2008. His skull had been cracked from ear to ear. Surgeons were forced to remove a piece of his skull in an attempt to save him. Chase was not expected to survive but he did.
His mother, Paula Kear, says Chase survived “in part because hundreds of people prayed to [the soul of] Father Emil Kapaun to intercede on Chase’s behalf.” Kapaun was a US Army chaplain from nearby Pilsen, Kansas, who died a hero during the Korean War. According to Kansas.com, a preliminary investigation was initiated by the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, which led to a a visit from a Vatican investigator Andrea Ambrosi. Chase’s story will be retold on the TV show Answered Prayers on August 9, 8pm on TLC.
