Michigan Teen Still Recovering Years After Mask Injury—Mom Urges Nation: "Don’t Forget What They Did"

Zander collapsed after being forced to wear a mask during basketball practice; his mother says his long recovery is a warning to never repeat the same mistakes.

Richelle Neuhaus says her son's life was forever changed during the COVID-19 pandemic—not from the virus, but from being forced to wear a mask during high-intensity sports practice.

Her son, Zander, was a junior at Clio High School when the pandemic lockdowns hit. He was active, healthy, and a dedicated student-athlete who played both basketball and baseball. But in March 2021, Neuhaus says Zander collapsed after being forced to wear a mask during basketball practice.

According to Neuhaus, the team was pushed hard during practice, especially after a recent game loss, and the athletic director and coaches insisted players keep their masks on tightly. Zander came home from practice disoriented and exhausted. Minutes later, he collapsed on the bathroom floor. His sister found him unconscious.

“We went to the ER, then to U of M, and they started running all kinds of tests,” Richelle said. “That’s when everything started to unravel.”

Zander was eventually diagnosed with palatal myoclonus, a rare neurological disorder that causes constant spasms in the soft palate and leads to severe clicking and popping in the ears. Doctors also later diagnosed him with a hypoxic brain injury—brain damage caused by lack of oxygen.

Neuhaus believes the forced mask-wearing during intense physical activity led to her son’s initial collapse and long-term injuries.

“He wasn’t the only kid made to wear a mask while running and jumping. But he followed the rules, and it nearly killed him,” she said.

Desperate for answers, the family sought care from top specialists across the country. A neurologist in Boston suggested treating the spasms with Botox injections. But the treatment only made things worse. Neuhaus said Zander’s condition spiraled—he became unable to tolerate car rides, food, or even soaps and medications.

“The Botox went through every system in his body,” Neuhaus said. “He couldn’t digest food. He couldn’t breathe. His body reacted to everything. We had to raise our own chickens just so he could eat meat that wouldn’t trigger reactions.”

At one point, she said, Zander was so overwhelmed by pain he became suicidal. “There were days I begged God to take him. No child should suffer that much.”

Today, Zander is still recovering. He has done dozens of hyperbaric oxygen dives and is on multiple medications to prevent constant anaphylactic reactions. He’s begun driving again and attends church, but his dreams—college, aviation school, playing sports—have been put on hold.

“He’s come a long way, but it’s slow,” Neuhaus said. “We’re believers, and our faith is what’s carried us through.”

Richelle says she’s speaking out because too many families are still afraid to. “Some people say, ‘how do you know it was the mask?’ I don’t care anymore what people say. I lived it. And if telling our story prevents even one other child from going through what we did, then it’s worth it.”

Zander’s story, she says, is a warning—and a reminder. “We need to learn from what happened. We can’t let blind mandates override common sense and parental authority again.”