Jamie Vermiglio is a 26 year old semi-professional soccer player from Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, England who has been sidelined with a broken back. It turns out that though that he’s been playing through the injury for at least 32 matches, and possibly his whole life!
After his coach noticed him struggling on the field, Vermiglio was sent to get an MRI scan which revealed a stress fracture to his fifth lumbar vertebra.
“It’s caused a disc to slip and that’s causing pain in the nervous system down my legs,” he said. “I’ve just been taking pain-killers so I could play. I just got on with playing and thought it would go away after time, like most injuries.”
Told by the doctors that continuing playing could paralyze him for life, the primary school teacher by day took the field regardless, helping his Telford United squad to a 1-0 win in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
“I’m not giving up hope yet. I am going to see another specialist and, fingers crossed, there might be some light at the end of the tunnel.”
The Slanch Report 
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