“May Not Make It Through the Night”: Wayne Gretzky Stuck Beside His Father to See Off a Miracle Despite Doctors Losing Hope Amidst His Deteriorating Health Once

Ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky was introduced to the game by his father Walter Gretzky. While Canada nicknamed Walter Gretzky, The Father of Hockey, he trained the 3-year-old Wayne in his backyard. As the Great One considered his father his best friend, Wayne left LA and rushed back home when he heard that his father had collapsed.

In 1991, on one unfortunate evening, Wayne Gretzky received a call from his sister. His sister informed him that their father has been taken to the hospital after a mishap. Gretzky Jr., who was living in the U.S. at that time, hurried back to his father. Upon his arrival, the doctors gave him the news no child would want to hear. However, Wayne Gretzky did not lose hope.

Wayne Gretzky wished for a miracle

The Great One: The Complete Wayne Gretzky Collection gives a detailed account of what Wayne went through. Soon after Wayne got off the call with his sister, he arranged to reach Hamilton as soon as possible. He chartered a plane and was off to Ontario in no time with his wife, kids, and his brother Keith.

His father was admitted to the intensive care unit of the Hamilton General Hospital. Wally had suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm while renovating his late mother’s farmhouse. Once Gretzky Jr. arrived at the hospital, he was hit with another shattering news. As per the biography, the doctors warned him to prepare for the worst and said, “He may not make it through the night.”

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However, if there is one thing he knew about his dad, it was that his old man was not a quitter. Hence, Wayne did not pay heed to the doctor’s words. Instead, he put his faith in his dad and waited for a miracle to happen. “He still seemed strong to me,” said the Great One. Miraculously, Wally pulled through that night and two more. Three days later, Walter Gretzky was successfully operated by Rocco de Villiers.

The after-effects of the surgery

Post his operation, Walter Gretzky went on to live for another three decades. However, it was not without dealing with some after-effects of the treatment. Gretzky Sr. suffered from selective amnesia once he woke up after his operation.

Ironically, only the parts of his memory related to The Great One’s success were lost. Neither did he remember Wayne’s spectacular records nor his controversial 1988 trade. Wally tried to relive those moments through the old videos. While he did remember some things in flashes, it was never the same again.

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Walter lost nearly a decade-long battle with Parkinson’s disease in 2021. The entire nation, including the Canadian President, mourned the loss of Canada’s Hockey Dad.