Game of golf, First Tee Minnesota has positively impacted Lucia Halstrom, 18, in recovery

To fully appreciate Lucia Halstrom’s life journey to date, one must first understand and respect that many of life’s most defining moments are those unplanned events that occur in the blink of an eye.

For starters, against all odds, the 18-year-old rising college freshman is still alive today to wholeheartedly agree with the notion.

Ten years ago, things didn’t look good for a then-8-year-old budding gymnast. Enthusiasm for the prospect of things like college, jobs and a family of her own one day weren’t even registering on her monitor.

In fact, at that time in 2014, nothing was registering.

“My husband and son were out, and Lucia and I had just gotten home from dinner on May 1, 2014,” said Lucia’s mother, Amy Halstrom. “When she asked if she could go play with our neighbor’s daughter, I told her she could go for an hour before homework.”

“I didn’t make it to her house,” said Lucia at this week’s 3M Open. “On the way, after a bright white flash of light, I fell face down onto the bedrock and I was unconscious for over 30 minutes without a pulse.”

A short time after the two friends should’ve connected, Amy heard feet shuffling in the house. It turned out to be her friend who had rushed to find Amy for help. The friend said that Amy’s second-grade daughter had fallen and was unresponsive.

“I found her face down on the ground,” Amy said. “I attempted CPR until police and rescue arrived with an AED. After the second attempt to shock her back, she regained a pulse. From the time she went down until she regained a pulse was approximately 32 minutes.”

Lucia had been victim of sudden cardiac arrest and would remain in the hospital for 16 days. She spent the first five in a coma.

Lucia had experienced two prior incidents, one in kindergarten and another in first grade. What first appeared to be fainting spells, Lucia underwent work with different doctors and different clinics. It was believed that she had experienced syncope and that it was something she would outgrow.

Five days after she collapsed on May 1, 2014, an MRI exam of Lucia’s brain resulted in doctors having to tell the family she would likely never breathe or eat again on her own. There was also the likelihood that her only form of communication would be through her eyes.

Lucia, they said, was in a vegetative state.

“We had to prepare ourselves, our son and other family for life to be different with Lucia,” Amy said. “We slowly started weening her off life support.”

Then, however, something that remains unexplainable to this day happened.

“Completely out of the blue one day in the hospital, Lucia opened her eyes and started reading the doctor's name badges and talking,” Amy said. “We were in awe and disbelief. It was a true miracle right before our very own eyes.”

By her own proclamation, Lucia proved everyone wrong.

After her time in the hospital, Lucia underwent genetic testing that determined she had an underlying heart condition, called CPVT, a very rare condition involving an abnormal heart rhythm. Though typically passed on genetically, such was not the scenario in Lucia’s case. She was among the 10 percent gene mutation.

When told by doctors she would not be able to return to her passion of gymnastics, or any contact sport for that matter, the game of golf entered the picture.

“I knew a little about golf because my dad was a teaching pro and my brother played,” Lucia said. “Even though I wasn’t really interested in it at the time, when I realized it was about the only sport I could be a part of, I got some clubs and started going to the driving range.”

“With my day being a golf pro, I’ve been playing the game since I was about three,” said Lucia’s brother, Jonathon. “When we heard it was the only sport she was really going to be able to play, we jumped all over it to give her as much support as we could. We tried to help her along the way, but at the end of the day, it was always just about having fun. That’s something we’ve all been able to do together. It has been awesome.”

About that time, Lucia was introduced to First Tee – Minnesota. Amy approached Troy Nygaard, Executive Director of Golf Programs at Three Rivers Park District. After explaining Lucia’s situation, he promptly helped get her involved with First Tee – Minnesota.

“Troy immediately took Lucia under his wing, setting her up with golf lessons and leagues,” Amy said. “He coached her, mentored her and tried to make golf as fun as it could be to someone totally new to the game. He has been such a source of support in our life by helping her learn and embrace the game of golf.”

“My closest friends today are the girls I’ve met since taking up golf and playing for the school golf team,” Lucia said. “Many of them are like sisters to me, so I’m really thankful that this game allowed us to meet and get to know each other.”

“First Tee has been amazing for Lucia,” Jonathon said. “The instructors and, really, all the people behind that program there are one of a kind. It has been an amazing thing for her to have to go through all of this. I don’t know where she’d be if she didn’t have that golf support group from First Tee – Minnesota and Eagle Lake. It’s all great.”

“With Lucia’s story, one of the things we have really tried to focus on are the things she can do as opposed to the things she cannot do,” Amy said. “Be it through sports, drama clubs or classrooms, what kids identify with and focus on are the things they can do. So, golf has given her an identity, a circle of friends, leadership and so many qualities that will help carry her through life. In sports, it’s less about what you do in the game than it is about what you learn through the game to become the person you truly are.”

On Tuesday of this week’s 3M Open, Lucia stood on the TPC Twin Cities practice putting green behind a young First Tee – Minnesota participant on site for a clinic.

“Look at the hole there,” Lucia said to the young boy. “That’s your target. After you have the target in mind, focus on that for everything; from how to set up, to where to aim when you putt the ball. Focus on the goal.”

Across so many levels, Lucia certainly read that one right. And, in doing so, she adds muscle to the notion that, in the blink of an eye, so much more can develop over time.