Good Sports: Bullard's Sam Makely relearns walking and baseball in hospital after traumatic crash

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Sam Makely standing at the plate this season is nothing short of a miracle.

On June 1, 2025, Sam's life changed forever.

"I rolled up my windows, called 911 and told them, 'Hey, my name is Sam Makely, I'm 16 years old and I don't want to die.'"

Last summer, while driving home, the brakes on Sam's car failed.

"I don't even know how to explain it," he said. "When I tapped on it and it just didn't do anything, my whole body just got really warm. Next thing you know, I'm going onto the wrong side of the road, lost control and hit a tree, just straight on. I remember closing my eyes, and I was like, 'I'm just going to take a nap. If I'm meant to wake up, I will.' And then a few minutes later, I woke up in an ambulance."

Sam quickly realized he didn't know his name or anything about his life prior to the crash. He'd later be told he had a traumatic brain injury and dissociative amnesia, affecting his memory.

"The doctor was like, 'He doesn't know you. He doesn't know who you are, and can you give him some space?' My mommy heart kind of broke," said his mother, Tiffani.

"Going on Instagram was the first thing I did," Sam said. "I just clicked on the app. It was right there. I remember literally looking up to my nurse and saying, 'Hey, I play baseball.'"

To Sam's medical staff, baseball would probably just be a thing of his past.

That didn't stop the Bullard senior from trying to play in his final year of high school ball.

Relearning to walk turned to position drills in the hospital hallways.

"We knew he was going to be in the dugout this year, one way or another," says coach Tom Donald. We didn't know he was going to be on the field."

Eight months after the accident, Sam was in the lineup for the second game of the season.

Today, he's the Knights' starting first baseman.

"Sammy is very inspirational to a lot of kids, especially to his teammates and his coaches," Donald said. We love that kid. He's a worker. He's blue collar, and to see him out on the field and actually playing and running around, it's an unbelievable story."

Sam showed us where his old life ended and his new life began.

But the crash site isn't a place of trauma. For this survivor, it's a place of peace.

"Whenever I'm having a terrible day," Sam said. "I'll come out here. Whenever I need time to think, I'll come out here."

Pieces of his car are still leaving a trail and a reminder for gratitude.

"Thinking about my life and how little baseball, I mean, I know it's really important, but how little stress it is when you have this to think about," he said.

"The new memories we make are the ones that matter," Tiffani said. "Being present and being together, just being part of Sam's new journey. There was never one time when he said, 'Why is this happening to me?'"

"It's just a good feeling knowing I'm a strong dude," Sam said. "Not weight strong. I could just go through whatever. If I want something, I'll never stop to get it."

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