Beaten Giants fan shows significant progress

CAPITOLA, Calif. (AP) — Bryan Stow, the San Francisco Giants fan who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a 2011 beating by two Los Angeles Dodgers fans, is cracking jokes, fist-bumping and hoping to one day discard his walker and run on his own.

His remarkable progress was displayed Tuesday during an interview with ESPN at his parents’ home, where the family watched Game 1 of the World Series between the Giants and Kansas City Royals. The Giants won, 7-1.

During an interview nine months after the attack, Stow had trouble smiling and holding a simple conversation, and appeared to struggle to raise his arms and hands.

In the latest interview, he made faces for the camera, joked about the Giants’ margin of victory in Game 1, gave a thumbs-up sign and showed off a ball signed by San Francisco slugger Will Clark. He used a walker but moved without assistance.

Stow, 45, said he is happy to be alive.

“Waking up every morning knowing I’m here. This place makes me feel good,” he said.

Still, he’s not satisfied with his progress.

“I want to run. I want to walk, like a normal person,” he said.

Stow was wearing his Giants jersey when he was attacked by the Dodger fans in a parking lot of Dodger Stadium on March 31, 2011.

He won a $14 million lawsuit against the Dodgers in July, but his attorney sued the team again last month, claiming it’s trying to recoup $3.4 million in insurance payments from Stow for his medical care.

Joe Jareck, a Dodgers spokesman, did not immediately return a call seeking comment Wednesday.

Stow was in the courtroom for part of the trial, his wheelchair positioned front and center so jurors could see the huge, deep scars on his head, the result of his skull being temporarily removed as doctors worked to save his life.

At the trial, experts testified that the former paramedic would never work again and has suffered repeated strokes and seizures. They said he would require around-the-clock care.

Stow, a father of two, has moved in with his parents after leaving a rehabilitation facility. His father, Dave Stow, said the family is surprised by the progress.

“We didn’t think he would be this mobile or vocal. He can sit and have dinners with us. He’s very funny,” the elder Stow said.

Bryan Stow said he remembers going to watch the Giants play. According to his parents, though, he doesn’t remember the attack. His parents say they have re-created a memory of it at his request.

Stow said had he known he was being attacked, he would have turned to see his assailant running at him, ready to “clock my block.”

Louie Sanchez and Marvin Norwood pleaded guilty in the attack. Sanchez was sentenced to eight years in prison, while Norwood received a four-year sentence.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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