Laura Klatter was in New Orleans on March 8 when she got a phone call from her dad with news she said no family member wants to hear.

Her younger brother, Jimmy Klatter, a former Eastern soccer player from 2002-06, had fallen from a balcony and fractured the back of his skull on a brick wall.

Within three hours, Laura was on a flight back to Chicago with help from her friends who packed her a bag and helped her get a plane ticket back home.

“There’s no way this is happening,” Laura said was the first thing she thought when she heard what had happened. “I actually had to give my friend, Amy, the phone. I was just pacing back and forth.”

Andrew Klatter, Jimmy’s younger high school-age brother, was at home in Geneva when his dad broke the news of Jimmy’s accident.

“He started off telling me that Jimmy got into an accident, and right away I thought of a car accident,” Andrew said.

Eastern senior forward Mick Galeski was teammates with Jimmy during his freshman season.

Galeski said he was supposed to meet Jimmy in Chicago the day of the accident, but Jimmy had to cancel. Galeski said he got a phone call from one of Jimmy’s friends a few hours later.

“My heart broke,” Galeski said. “Jimmy was my captain my freshman year.”

Galeski said Jimmy was the veteran on the team that took him under his wing.

“He was a big influence to me,” Galeski said. “He’s been a friend of mine since he graduated.”

Galeski said he continues to receive updates on Jimmy from Jimmy’s college roommate and mutual friend Shaun Leyden. Galeski was with Leyden when Jimmy had his accident.

Jimmy recently underwent surgery to remove the damaged brain tissue in the right frontal lobe of his brain, Laura said.

“Now he is still in a barbiturate coma the doctors put him in,” Laura said. “They are trying to wean him off the barbiturates slowly so his intracranial pressure (ICP) doesn’t rise too much.”

Jimmy’s ICP is currently between 15 and 19. If his ICP rises above 25 the pressure in his brain could increase to the point it causes a brain hernia, Laura said.

“Personally it’s very difficult dealing with what’s been occurring with Jimmy,” Andrew said. “One point during the day, he’ll be in a stable area with his pressure and a couple hours later he’ll be back up to where the unsafe numbers are.”

For now, the Klatter family is updating Jimmy’s status with a group on facebook.com and on CarePages.com and trying to cope with the situation.

“We are mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted,” Laura said. “We’ve been living in a small waiting room at Delnor Community Hospital (in Geneva) since Jimmy arrived.”

Laura said she has been able to slip away a few times to a friend’s house, but her parents have stayed. She said the hospital staff has been accommodating.

“Jimmy has the best nurses and doctors working with him,” Laura said. “The staff (at Delnor) are his angels.”

Laura said Jimmy is also suffering from pneumonia because he is on a respirator and the hospital staff hasn’t been able to get him to cough or move much because any time the doctors try to apply any stimulus, Jimmy’s ICP goes up. She said the doctors found some fluid in his lungs and in his abdomen.

But through this ordeal Laura said her family has witnessed a few miracles.

“We have realized how strong each one of us truly is,” Laura said. “We have seen our family come together as one cohesive unit.”

Laura said the outpouring of supports has extended past Geneva, the soccer teams Jimmy played with since he was nine and Eastern. She said kids in Ghana have sent prayers to the family because she knows a teacher in Ghana.

“We’re just so appreciative of what everyone is doing,” Laura said. “From the bottom of our hearts we just want to thank everyone.”

“My family and I really appreciate all the help and responses from the community not only here in Geneva but all over the country,” Andrew said. “Jimmy has friends in almost every region of the United States and we’ve got calls, cards, flowers, and other parcels from them wishing us luck and telling us that they’re praying for Jimmy.”

Jimmy is seventh on Eastern’s all-time goals list with 31.

Scott Richey can be reached at 581-7944 or at srrichey@eiu.edu.

Jimmy Klatter, a 2006 Eastern graduate and former men’s soccer player, is currently in a coma after suffering an accident on March 8. (File Photo)

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