Elk River teen paralyzed after car accident meets Wild's Jared Spurgeon

ST. PAUL, Minn. – A teenager facing a difficult road to recovery after a tragic accident got a superstar surprise Thursday.

Charles Gabrelcik was paralyzed from the waist down after surviving the accident in July killed two of his friendsAnthony Krider and Donovan Gobel.

The high school athlete from Elk River is at Gillette Children's in St. Paul, working on getting his upper body moving again.

Gabrelcik is a huge Minnesota Wild fan, so it was a dream come true when Wild captain Jared Spurgeon stopped by unexpectedly.

“It was wonderful,” said Annie Gabrelcik, Charles Gabrelcik’s mother. “Just that smile on his face.”

Gabrelcik's parents were overjoyed when they found out about the surprise.

Terry Gabrelcik, Charles Gabrelcik's father, knew it would brighten his day.

“He’s very dedicated to his therapy,” Terry Gabrelcik said. “He trains his butt just like he did in sports with football and hockey.”

Annie Gabrelcik says her son is her hero.

“With everything he’s been through, it’s amazing to be as positive as he is,” Terry Gabrelcik said.

Spurgeon brought Nordy, the Wild team mascot, with him. They took many photos with Gabrelcik, both with a signed Spurgeon jersey and an Elk River jersey signed by Gabrelcik's friends and teammates.

It was a special moment for both Spurgeon and the Gabrelcik family.

“I’m just trying to change the day for people here,” Spurgeon said. “We’re here to get to know them and see how special they are.”

Shannon Wier is a Child Life Specialist at Gillette and works with Charles Gabrelcik.

“It's really rewarding when someone takes time out of their busy schedule to come and actually visit,” she said.

There are still hurdles to overcome, but Charles Gabrelcik hopes to be out of the hospital in December.

“I know he will make it with his attitude that failure is not an option,” his father said.

Spurgeon talked a little with Charles Gabrelcik about the future, especially next June, and said he would like to come back, but next time with a big trophy named Stanley.

Charles Gabrelcik spoke for all Wild fans when he said, “That would be sweet.”