By Willie Theis
This column about Mesquite bowler Eddie Elsner is the most compelling and gripping article I’ve written about a bowler at the Virgin River Bowling Center.
And it isn’t about some monster 800 series or of throwing back-to-back 300 games.

Eddie Elsner

Nosiree! Instead, far more important things like the love of a mom for her son and a sister for a brother, and a special bond between a man and his pet dog, Earl. For those readers not familiar with his mom, Karen Woolsey, she’s the secretary of the Kings & Queens League during both the winter and summer campaigns, and Lisa Winder is his sister who’s he very close with and she lives in Beaver Dam.
The first chapter of the story really begins on a morning filled with a light rain falling in Enterprise Utah where Elsner was working on the roof of a house being built when he slipped causing him to fall some dozen feet onto a concrete floor rendering him unconscious. Next, he spent two months in a coma at the Intermountain Hospital in St. George, Utah where imaging work by his medical team determined his fall caused severe traumatic brain injury.
He was allowed two visitors a day, one of which was his mom who sat vigil at his bedside every single day where she dealt with the weight of uncertainty if her son would ever snap out of his coma. And his sister was also a frequent visitor.
And as the days turned into weeks, the outstanding medical team worked tirelessly in trying everything possible in the hopes of ending his coma condition. And just like his doctors, his mom and sister would pinch, poke, probe with an instrument, and even play music all with the hope of seeing him snap out of his coma, but to no avail.
And it was with heavy hearts, after two months in a coma when the hospital’s medical staff delivered a grim prognosis. With no signs of waking up from his coma, and odds strongly dictating he never will, his mom and sister found themselves at a crossroads that no family should have to bear when they were presented with some gut-wrenching choices of either sending him to a long term care facility, or let him go, by releasing him from the feeding tube and machines that had been sustaining his life.
Their hearts ached from the weight of having to make such an emotional and final decision. After all, Elsner wasn’t just a patient, he was a beloved son and brother.
So, while giving serious reflection on the decision they’d have to make, but also aware of the strong bond between Elsner and his pet dog, they asked if they could try one final thing before rendering their decision on the choices they were given.
And what his sister Lisa did was hurry to her home in Beaver Dam, turned on the voice recorder on her Android phone after making sure Earl saw the family cat which would always trigger a round of barking as it echoed through the house. Next, she drove back to the hospital where she met her mom again, and then proceeded to place the recording of Earl’s barking as close as possible to brother’s ear, cranked up the volume and waited with bated breath hoping against all odds he’d wake up from his deep sleep.
And after what seemed like the longest minute both ever experienced, and with hopes of ending his come seemingly dashed, she still continued playing the barking tape knowing a final good bye would likely be the alternative if this didn’t work.
And then suddenly, as if by some miraculous intervention, Elser stirred, His eyelids fluttered and a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He struggled to speak so it was difficult to understand what he was saying, but the good news was he was somewhat awake, and his spirit obviously rekindled by the familiar voice of his faithful companion, Earl. And while he continued groggy and confused, it was a breakthrough and a lifeline in contrast to all the despair.
Next, his mom and sister immediately contacted the nurses and doctors and they were stunned and in disbelief on hearing and seeing he woke up from his coma, and even more so after hearing the story of what triggered it.
And the final chapter in this story is what followed were weeks of grueling therapy with both his mom and sister again being pillars of strength. And slowly, almost miraculously, Elsner continued showing improvement. His voice, once silent, filled the room again with laughter. His eyes once closed, sparkled with recognition. And with Earl, his ever-loyal companion again resuming his place at his side and his presence a testament to the power of unconditional love.
It should be noted that while Elsner has regained basically all of his physical functions, he still to this day cannot remember or recall any of the events that transpired in the hospital including when he first woke up.
Fortunately, his mom and sister took frequent video’s and photo’s of his stay during and after waking up from coma. And thanks to sharing some of them with me, it helps illustrate even more just how powerful and gripping this amazing story is with a pet dog’s barking playing a pivotal role in the joyful outcome. And that raises a question. Is it possible this amazing story of Elsner and Earl appear down the road in Readers Digest or some animal magazine? Ohhhh, yeah!!
This amazing story is the last article for this season, and I’ll see you in September.