Ever since Marciano Armano started wrestling as a young child, his mother, Lindsay Fitts, recorded every one of his matches.
But on July 27, her video was cut short.
Marciano was lying motionless on the mat.
“I didn’t realize how serious it was until the trainer and nurse came over and held his head,” Lindsay recalled.
During the Summer Slam competition in Hampstead, N.H., Marciano—a sophomore at Greater Lawrence Tech High and a member of both the wrestling and soccer teams—landed awkwardly while wrestling a teammate. He immediately tapped out.
“I had him locked in with my arms around him. I took him down and when we hit the mat, my neck snapped back and I heard a crack,” Marciano, of Lawrence, explained. “I knew right away something was wrong. A few seconds later, I couldn’t move my legs.”
Marciano’s dad, Mike Armano, a Lawrence firefighter and coach, rushed to his son’s side with Lindsay. Both parents were terrified.
“It happened so quickly, I didn’t have time to process what was happening. Not knowing was incredibly scary and difficult,” Lindsay said.
The athletic trainer and nurse stabilized Marciano’s head until paramedics arrived. Normally, an injury like that would require a med-flight, but because of poor weather, Marciano was taken by ambulance to Lawrence General Hospital then quickly transferred to Boston Children’s Hospital.
“I thought I’d never move my legs again. I thought my wrestling career was over. I was scared,” Marciano said. “I didn’t know what happened, and I couldn’t move my legs. When I got to Children’s, my arms gave out too. I started crying. I didn’t know if I’d ever walk or move again.”
Marciano arrived at the hospital as a trauma patient. Nine doctors and nurses surrounded him with questions before taking him for an MRI.
“Mike and I were just in the waiting room. That was the scariest part—just waiting,” Lindsay said. “The doctor came out and said it was a spinal cord compression injury. She said typically there’s a full recovery, but they couldn’t promise us anything. So of course we asked, ‘What’s typical? When will he move again?’ We just didn’t know. We still don’t know how long it’ll take for him to be fully back.”
On the Road to Recovery
Marciano spent three days at Children’s Hospital before being transferred to Spaulding Rehab in Charlestown, where he was expected to stay four to six weeks.
“That first night at Children’s, he could move his arms,” Lindsay said. “About a week later at Spaulding, he started moving his legs. He never lost feeling in them—it was just that his brain couldn’t tell his legs to move. He had to retrain his body to do everything again.”
It started with the basics.
“I was doing small physical and occupational therapy,” Marciano said, who turns 16 next month. “Showering, putting on clothes, tapping my toes on the floor—small stuff like that.”
His progress was slow but steady, and his outlook remained positive.
“He was in such good spirits the whole time,” Lindsay said. “Maybe he got down when he was alone, but never around me. His teammates visited him at the hospital right away. That helped so much. He had a great support system, and his attitude really helped him recover so quickly.”
“I tried to be strong for him,” she added. “There were times at home when I’d cry, not knowing what the future held. But seeing his progress every day, and his determination, helped ease those worries.”
Marciano’s recovery was so rapid, he only spent two weeks at Spaulding. He went from wearing a neck brace and using a wheelchair, to a walker, and now walks with the help of a crutch.
“I’m so happy with my progress in physical therapy,” Marciano said. “I’m down to one crutch and trying to get to none. I’m feeling great and love seeing how far I’ve come.”
Right before leaving Spaulding, Marciano received the best possible news.
“Before he got his neck brace off, he had an MRI and X-ray and they said everything was clear,” Lindsay said. “All the swelling was gone, so everything should get back to normal. Now it’s just about rebuilding his muscles. Everyone at Spaulding was amazing—we can’t thank them enough.”
Looking Ahead
Last year, Marciano played defensive back for the JV soccer team before being called up to varsity. He was part of the Reggies’ historic 15-0-3 season, which included a league title and a state tournament appearance.
After soccer, he switched to wrestling, splitting time between JV and varsity, and competing at the Division 2 North Sectionals.
“Marciano was a huge part of our team,” said wrestling coach Juan Nieves. “He came in with a lot of experience, which most kids don’t have.”
Coach Nieves had penciled Marciano in as a starter for the upcoming season.
“I know he’s telling people he’s coming back. He has high hopes, and I’ll support him with whatever he needs, but I just want him healthy,” Nieves said. “He has such mental toughness. He’s at about 75 to 80 percent now, and I was glad to hear that.”
Marciano still goes to physical therapy three times a week at Northeast Rehab in North Andover. He’s attended school every day, and when therapy doesn’t conflict, he’s at every soccer practice and game, cheering on his teammates.
He’s determined to get back on the soccer field—and the wrestling mat—as soon as possible.
“It’s great being with my friends and the team, but I can’t wait to start kicking a ball again,” he said. “Being with them lifts my spirits. I just want to get back on the field. We lost 14 players from last year, so this is a rebuilding year. I know I could help boost morale.”
As Marciano spoke, Lindsay smiled and showed a video she made of his remarkable recovery.
“He’s making such great progress—it’s been wonderful to see,” she said. “We’ll meet soon to see what he needs next, maybe some sports-oriented training. He’s getting better every day.”