Determination drives Alec Sprague, a Chiari Malformation Warrior

Less than two weeks after undergoing brain surgery, 17-year-old Alec Sprague shows his true colors as a Chiari Malformation Warrior as he begins his junior year at Holyoke High School.

Grateful that the surgery has eliminated the extreme head and neck pain he was enduring, Sprague has accepted the fact that his football participation this year will be as a spectator.

With a full schedule of advanced classes, his academic load will certainly take his focus.

“I’ll just go with it,” he said with positivity. “There will probably be opportunities in something — there’s always something going on,” he added.

Busting all timelines so far, he’s hopeful that he’ll be able to best the two-month “walking only” and the four-month “no sports” time frames that he’s been given by doctors.

“Alec has that kind of mindset — ‘don’t tell me I can’t do it,’” his mom, Emma, said.

Time in intensive care certainly seemed realistic Friday, Aug. 9, when Sprague went into the six-hour surgery at Children’s Hospital in Denver to remove a portion of his skull and the backside portion of his C1 vertebra.

But ICU didn’t happen. Emma shared the great news on Facebook. “No ICU for Alec. He was more than ready to wake up, so they pulled the breathing tube, and he has been in Beast Mode since!”

Saturday morning, she reported that even a beast needs to follow doctors’ orders. While he wasn’t able to return home that day, he did return Sunday, a full day earlier than originally predicted.

When he should have just been getting out of ICU Saturday, he was walking around the sixth floor of the hospital.

Upon Alec’s return to Holyoke, his girlfriend, Kylie Purkeypile, was there for breakfast each morning. By Thursday, Aug. 15, the two walked three laps around the track. “Kylie has spent hours studying Alec’s condition,” Emma said.

“I don’t think this will stop me from doing much,” Alec said. “I’m already going faster than anyone thought I would.”

Taking medication to relax his muscles is on Alec’s course right now, and he will see local medical personnel for immediate follow-ups before returning to his specialist.

Even his sense of humor has stayed in tact, according to his mom. Alec gave his dad, Alan, quite a scare when he was first coming out of surgery, when he feigned dullness.

What in the world is Chiari malformation?

Chiari malformation does not seem to be a common term, but it’s quite common at Children’s Hospital. And Alec and his family have become well-informed since his diagnosis in June of 2017.

Chiari malformations are structural defects in the base of the skull and cerebellum, the part of the brain that controls balance.

Normally, the cerebellum and parts of the brain stem sit above an opening in the skull that allows the spinal cord to pass through it, according to information from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

When part of the cerebellum extends below this opening and into the upper spinal canal, it is called a Chiari malformation.

After his 2017 diagnosis, Alec was getting regular checkups to monitor the CM. He lettered in football in the fall of 2017 as a freshman, but last fall he said there was a ringing in his head that was undescribable when he suffered a football hit, and he chose not to compete for the season.

It wasn’t until this past April that the headaches became unbearable. Emma said doctors describe the excruciating headache pain as something that goes down the neck. When Alec would so much as cough, the pain would permeate down his neck.

A June 10 MRI disclosed that Alec’s cerebellum had made a significant drop down his spine since 2017, adding extensive pressure. Additionally, the MRI identified three syrinxes, which are cavities that result when cerebrospinal fluid that normally flows around the spinal cord and brain collect in a small area of the spinal cord and block the fluid flow.

A July 31 doctor visit emphasized Alec’s need for surgery, which was scheduled for Aug. 9. The decompression surgery involves an incision at the back of the head and removal of a small portion of the bone at the bottom of the skull. This creates more space for the cerebellum and relieves pressure on the spinal cord.

During the surgery, Emma said they took out four inches of Alec’s skull. “Just removing that portion of the skull allowed for the cerebellum to retract back up to where it should be, releasing the pressure from the spinal cord,” she added.

The Spragues are hopeful that the surgery will be life-changing for Alec.

But they’re also realistic and well aware that this is not a cure — just a treatment. There is no cure for Chiari malformation.

Beating all timeline odds straight out of the gate following surgery, Alec the Chiari Malformation Warrior was supported strongly by his parents and six siblings, ages 6-16, not to mention an entire community and fanbase that continues to pray and cheer for him.

Back home in Holyoke, Amber Sprague and Joylyn Kinnie had stocked the Sprague refrigerator and freezer with food as a return-home surprise to show that people really care. It was one of many kind gestures that the Spragues have sincerely appreciated.

“He’s an incredible fighter,” Emma said as Alec came out of surgery two weeks ago. “Our little Chiari Malformation Warrior is more like our Hero! We love him so much!”