On Monday, July 26, Earthquakes forward Brian Ching drove to San Francisco to visit the home of a young soccer player and Earthquakes fan named Katy Daly.
Katy, the goalie for a local youth soccer team called the Aftershocks, was involved in a very dangerous play on the soccer field. During the Cal Cup tournament in Sacramento on Saturday, July 17, while she was attempting to make a save, Katy was kneed in the face by the opposing team's forward. As a result of the collision, Katy experienced a major concussion and had numerous other injuries, including a fractured jaw and damaged vision. She underwent surgery for her injuries on Tuesday, July 27.
The night before the procedure, Earthquakes forward Brian Ching spent time with Katy at her home with her family, who were all very nervous about the procedure. Ching himself underwent surgery in October of 2003 after rupturing his right Achilles tendon, so the soccer star brought pictures of his injury and recovery to help explain the process to Katy and her parents. Ching provided a wealth of encouragement for the Daly family, bringing comfort to them about the surgery and giving Katy something to smile about after a tough week.
Ching was a true inspiration for Katy, as well as many of the neighborhood kids who stopped by to meet the Earthquakes forward. All of the Aftershocks and their parents now see Ching as a true hero for taking the time and significant effort to help kids who are dealing with trauma in their lives.
Katy is recovering well from her surgery, during which doctors placed a plate in her cheek, repaired her eye, and fixed some of the damaged muscles.
