Friends rally around fallen rugby player from Mt. Lebanon
Mt. Lebanon lacrosse coach Mike Ermer called Tommy McClain a “selfless” individual.
Now, McClain needs some of that kindness. He must depend upon the generosity of friends as well as strangers while he lies in a hospital intensive care unit.
On the morning of June 26 during halftime of his fourth rugby game for Slippery Rock University, McClain’s coaches said they noticed “he wasn’t acting like himself.”
So EMS was summoned.
Once at the hospital, scans and tests revealed McClain had suffered a stroke because of a blood clot in his brain.
“He had a procedure to remove the blood clot,” said his friend Samantha Squatriglia in a Facebook post. “We thought Tommy was on the road to recovery. A few hours later, though, our lives were flipped upside down again.”
McClain suffered a brain bleed. After another emergency surgical procedure, McClain was in critical condition in an ICU unit fighting for his life.
“Your heart goes out to him and his family,” said Lebo athletic director John Grogan. “Such a wonderful young man with the ability to put a smile on your face. A terrific, terrific kid and so young. It’s scary. Makes you want to go home and hug your kids.”
McClain played several seasons on the high school’s lacrosse team. Though he stopped playing to focus on football, he attended the games of his former teammates. He also competed for the Pittsburgh Forge.
McClain also made his presence felt in the school and in his extracurricular activities before he graduated in 2019. He volunteered for the Special Olympics championships held at Slippery Rock University in the fall of 2020. He helped man the powerlifting venue.
“(Tommy) was someone you would see in the hallway with a smile on his face,” said Ermer, who is Western Competition director for Special Olympics. “He was always super positive. It’s just awful to hear what is going on with him now.”
Medication appears to have stopped the bleeding in his brain, but McClain’s medical bills are just beginning. Squatriglia started a Go Fund Me page on Facebook to help defray the costs and well as to provide for McClain and his family as they negotiate these uncertain times.
As of June 30, $30,987 has been raised by 642 donors. The goal is $75,00.
“It will be a very long road with a few windy bends,” Squatriglia said, “but with a support system like Tommy has, he can do anything. Let’s continue on the fight.”
For more information, visit GoFundMe: Tommy Strong.