Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski
Naomi Franco's Story of Perseverance
10/30/2020 7:00:00 AM | Volleyball
On December 29th, 2019, Naomi Franco headed to her A5 South club volleyball practice just as she had so many other times in her life. Although she had been suffering from a headache, Naomi and her father, Kwesi, got in the car to drive to practice. On the way, Naomi began to sweat. Her father changed course to take her to the Emergency room. Then Naomi passed out.
When Naomi woke up in the hospital, she could not move the right side of her body and she had a drain in the back of her head. A brain hemorrhage on the left frontal lobe had forced doctors to rush Naomi into emergency surgery to relieve the swelling. During the next few weeks, Naomi and her parents lived in Egleston Hospital as she began her recovery. Naomi's drive to return to the volleyball court fueled her recovery and rehabilitation. She had signed her National Letter of Intent to play at Syracuse in November 2019.
Syracuse head coach Leonid Yelin visited her in the hospital in early January.
"She said, 'Coach, don't give up on me. I'll be back,'" Yelin recalled. "Fighting for her life and she's telling me she'll be back — that's a really special kid."
During that visit, Yelin promised the Francos that Naomi would not lose her scholarship, that she would have a place at Syracuse, whether she was able to return to volleyball or not.
"At that time and now, as much as, yes, I'm a coach, we need players, but I'm sorry. That's the last thing on my mind," Yelin said. "She has her scholarship. Don't worry about this. I want all of us staying focused in how we can help this kid to bounce back."
In September Naomi, who is studying computer art and animation in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, made her Syracuse debut in her team's upset of three-time defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion Pittsburgh. During the shortened season due to COVID-19, Naomi played in seven of Syracuse's eight matches and had five kills.
When Naomi woke up in the hospital, she could not move the right side of her body and she had a drain in the back of her head. A brain hemorrhage on the left frontal lobe had forced doctors to rush Naomi into emergency surgery to relieve the swelling. During the next few weeks, Naomi and her parents lived in Egleston Hospital as she began her recovery. Naomi's drive to return to the volleyball court fueled her recovery and rehabilitation. She had signed her National Letter of Intent to play at Syracuse in November 2019.
Syracuse head coach Leonid Yelin visited her in the hospital in early January.
"She said, 'Coach, don't give up on me. I'll be back,'" Yelin recalled. "Fighting for her life and she's telling me she'll be back — that's a really special kid."
During that visit, Yelin promised the Francos that Naomi would not lose her scholarship, that she would have a place at Syracuse, whether she was able to return to volleyball or not.
"At that time and now, as much as, yes, I'm a coach, we need players, but I'm sorry. That's the last thing on my mind," Yelin said. "She has her scholarship. Don't worry about this. I want all of us staying focused in how we can help this kid to bounce back."
In September Naomi, who is studying computer art and animation in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, made her Syracuse debut in her team's upset of three-time defending Atlantic Coast Conference champion Pittsburgh. During the shortened season due to COVID-19, Naomi played in seven of Syracuse's eight matches and had five kills.
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