Xavier Prep community prays for miracle
A valley teenager is fighting for his life. Seventeen-year-old Greg Friscia, a senior at Xavier Preparatory in Palm Desert, remains in a medically-induced coma after crashing on his skateboard over the weekend.
Friends and family gathered for a vigil Monday night at the Hanson house in Palm Springs. They cried, prayed and held each other. A short walk from them, Greg continues to fight for his life inside Desert Regional Medical Center. “To see and their family and their relatives hurting and suffering, and probably most frustrating, especially for teenagers, high school kids,” said Chris Alling, the principal at Xavier Prep. “You don’t know what to do and you don’t know how to fix it.”
Also tough for their parents who try to comfort their grieving children. “It’s a very difficult thing to see him be in this stage,” said Enrique Braunschweiger. “And you know we gotta be strong for the kids but the kids are definitely teaching us how to be godly and how to be faithful.”
The seniors at Xavier Prep came together for the vigil and several prayer services since the accident. “To see how we can rally together and be such a strong force for love and compassion, it gives me pride in my school and my community as well,” said Niko Garcia, a Xavier Prep senior.
The vigil also gave people a chance to share their feelings about Greg, a straight “A” student and an athlete with plans to attend UCLA, Boston College or Stanford.
“He was a shining light on campus and always had a smile on his face,” said Garcia. “There was never a dull moment with Greg. And he always just made us happy.”
“He’s the eagle scout, he’s mayberry, he’s…every dad wants his daughter to meet a guy like Greg. He’s just a great kid.”
A great kid, who like many teenagers, did not wear a helmet, a safety reminder for everyone. “You have to take this type of lesson and learn from it,” said Braunschweiger. “Unfortunately it’s a high price to be paid but you know, you do at least have to get something out of it.”
The students continue find good out of what happened, reminders to hug a little tighter and love a little more.
