Overview

• In March, 9-year-old Gus Deterding slipped on ice while carrying a bow and arrow in Alexandria, Minnesota, causing an arrow to impale nearly his entire brain before he removed it himself.
• After initial treatment and release at a local hospital, worsening symptoms prompted a helicopter transfer to Children’s Minnesota Hospital for specialized neurosurgical evaluation.
• Imaging revealed the arrow’s path narrowly missed the carotid artery and other critical structures, with a small bone fragment driven into his brain by the impact.
• Under close observation and rehabilitation, Gus regained full neurological function and was back to playing hockey and baseball three months after the accident.
• Gus’s parents and medical team describe his survival and return to normal life as a miracle attributed to the arrow’s precise trajectory and prompt specialist care.