SPASH tennis player deals with family tragedy

STEVENS POINT - Jon Peck had paid his dues in varsity tennis.

He had climbed the ranks from Stevens Point Area Senior High's No. 3 singles player as a freshman to the No. 2 spot as a sophomore. Teammates and coaches are like a second family, and as a junior he was preparing to take over the mantel as the Panthers' No. 1 singles player.

On an overcast, wintry late December day, Peck's life was turned upside down, just three months before the opening of tennis practice.

As was his daily routine, Jon's father Ed Peck stepped outside to go for a run around the Stevens Point neighborhood. On his run, he slipped on a patch of ice and went crashing to the ground. His head slammed into the cement.

Ed had the wherewithal to pick himself off the ground and walk back to the house where his wife JoAnne and youngest son Jon greeted him.

"He told us what happened and at first, we thought maybe it was a concussion," Jon Peck said.

It turned out to be much worse than the family ever imagined. Over the next couple days, Jon didn't know if his dad would live or die.

Tennis was still in the back of his mind, but rather than focusing on his serve or groundstrokes, Jon was far more concerned about his father making it home again. There was a growing concern that hospitals and rehabilitation facilities could be the Pecks' home away from home for unforeseeable future.

Would his family have a chance to celebrate another Christmas together?

A dire situation

The family was informed by doctors that Ed suffered acute brain trauma, including hemorrhaging. JoAnne and Jon scrambled to get word to older siblings, Will and Chris, who both reside in Madison.

Ed's job at Sentry Insurance, school and tennis in the case of Jon, had become insignificant.

The family's anxiety and concern over the injuries Ed suffered only grew as time passed and the realization could very well be life-threatening.

"My understanding is that (Ed Peck) had no function or feeling on his left side (after the accident) and cognitively there was nothing going on," SPASH tennis coach Gary Baier explained.

Time was of the essence, yet time wasn't on their side.

Emergency room staff at Ministry Saint Michael's Hospital quickly determined Ed Peck would be better served to receive treatment at the Ministry Saint Joseph's Hospital in Marshfield.

A snowstorm invaded the area that night, only adding to the urgency. The ambulance that was supposed to transport Ed wound up in a ditch, and soon all ambulances were shut down. All Flight for Life helicopters also were grounded due to the storm.

At least six hours after the original mishap, road conditions improved enough for Peck to be rushed by ambulance to Marshfield where he immediately went into surgery. His skull was cut open to allow the brain to swell, and he was placed in a coma for a couple days.

"We really didn't know how serious it was until we got to the hospital," Jon said.

Perhaps never would his second family — the SPASH tennis team and tennis community — mean more to Jon than during the weeks and months to come.

All three sons played tennis at SPASH, so they had dealt with adversity on the tennis court before.

Putting in the work to earn a place in the varsity lineup or finding a way to pull out a match to put the Panthers over the top in a Wisconsin Valley Conference dual meet paled in comparison to what Jon Peck was focused on now.

Former teammates and coaches helped them overcome obstacles thrust in front of them during matches. Now their support would take on even more meaning.

Once out of the coma, Ed was transferred to a rehabilitation facility in Waukesha. Dissatisfied with how his treatment was progressing, the Pecks opted to move him to another rehabilitation in Omaha, Neb.

Ed has been in Nebraska recuperating for the past couple months.

"Things are definitely improving, but it's slow," Jon said. "There really is no timetable (for a full recovery) because this is not a very exact science when you're dealing with the brain. I don't know much, all I know is he's getting better."

Jon is able to talk to his father on the phone every week, and his older brother Will and Jon recently took a trip to Omaha to see him at the rehabilitation center.

Seeing what his father has been forced to deal with has taken an emotional toll on Jon. That would be true for any teenager dealing with a family catastrophe.

"Jon's kind of a hard guy to read," Baier said. "He doesn't wear his emotions on his sleeve, but you can definitely tell his dad has definitely been weighing on his mind. You could tell he was not quite himself.

"It's been a unique experience and probably the most stressful thing I've had to deal with in terms of outside factors being a part of one of our tennis player's life."

Despite all of the things he is dealing with, Jon sports a 16-4 record this season.

At home around tennis family

The family has significant reason to feel encouraged. Ed is once again able to talk and hold a conversation. He has gradually regained movement of his limbs on the left side of his body.

JoAnne Peck has stayed by her husband's side throughout the rehabilitation process and remains with him in Omaha.

With older brothers Will and Chris Peck living in Madison, Jon has pretty much been on his own during the entire ordeal. He has done much of his school work online.

One tennis family in town — Mark and Jean Luetschwager, whose daughter Emily also plays tennis for SPASH — have opened their arms and home to Jon whenever he has felt a need to be around family in the absence of his parents.

"(The Luetschwagers) have been great," Jon said. "I've been friends with them for as long as I can remember. They've been really great to let me stay with them.

"(The online classes) aren't that bad and I'm only doing them for this semester. I would rather have done public school, but that was not really an option because (our family) didn't know where we'd be."

Hoping for better days ahead

The start of the tennis season in April offered Jon a respite from dealing what his father was going through.

However, he had to cope with not seeing the friendly faces of Ed and JoAnne Peck, who showed their unwavering support over the years by never missing one of their sons' matches. While by no means avid tennis players, the Pecks built a tennis court in their backyard so their sons could develop the skills and pursue their love for the sport.

In his third year of varsity competition, and entrenched at the No. 1 singles position for the first time, not having them courtside during a match was tough on Jon early in the season. Older brother Will occasionally makes the trek from Madison to take in some of his matches and help fill the void.

"I miss seeing (my parents) at meets, but I've been really thankful to Will for coming up and spending time to watch my meets," Jon said. "I suppose basically the way I see it, I've got my family and then I've got tennis. It's the next big thing for me after family since I've been playing it since fourth or fifth grade."

Ed is never far from his thoughts, and Jon prefers to focus on the progress his dad is making.

The question for the family now is not a matter of if their husband and father will recover, but how much longer the recovery will take.

With his mind more at ease, Jon uses the hour or two he spends on the tennis courts in practice or during a match as an opportunity to escape from what life has thrown at him this season.

"He's certainly doing a lot better than a while ago. We keep hoping he's making progress every day to getting back to normal," Jon said. "That stuff is all in the past. I just think about the future, that's basically it."

Scott A. Williams can be reached at 715-345-2282, or on email at ssswilliam@stevenspoint.gannett.com. Find him on Twitter as @SPJScottWill