The U.S. figure skating world has been praying for Todd Sand and his family following the 59-year-old’s heart attack suffered in Calgary on March 2, 2023.
Sand and his wife Jenni Meno coach the World Junior Champions Sophia Baram and Daniel Tioumentsev.
He was with the pair for their technical program and suffered the heart attack before their free skate.
Since then, he has been hospitalized in Calgary in the ICU.
The figure skating community shared an online fundraiser for the family as his medical expenses in Canada are not covered by US-based insurance.
On March 15, 13 days after his heart attack, Jenni Meno shared a positive update on Twitter.
“We are hoping to transfer Todd to an ICU closer to home very soon. Jack, Matthew, and I feel the support from around the World. Please continue to pray for Todd and his team of Drs. Your prayers are working. #babysteps #dontbackdown”
We are hoping to transfer Todd to an ICU closer to home very soon.
Jack, Matthew and I feel the support from around the World. Please continue to pray for Todd and his team of Drs. Your prayers are working. #babysteps #dontbackdown@jacksand_2 https://t.co/IiTuycaTo3— Jenni Meno Sand (@JenniSand4) March 15, 2023
Meno tagged the couple’s teenage son Jack who previously took to social media to thank the skating community for their prayers.
He also posted throwback pictures with his father.
Jack, Todd Sand & Jenni Meno’s elder son (a high school senior baseball player) of 2 boys, has tweeted throwback photos of his dad and thanked the skating community “for their thoughts and prayers” – continuing to send my support to the Sand family & everyone close to them!🥰🙏 pic.twitter.com/YL0BtaG7VT
— Sylvia (@SylviaUnseen) March 6, 2023
What We Know
We do not know the specific details of Sand’s health complications as related to the heart attack.
It is a private health matter, but we can gather from the prolonged ICU stay in Canada followed by a planned ICU admission to a California hospital that Sand has a long road of recovery ahead.
Meno’s hashtags are telling.
The first is #babysteps which makes it sound as though Todd is improving, slowly but surely.
The second is #dontbackdown.
That implies Todd has a fighting spirit that carried him through his amateur and professional skating careers, his coaching career, and now as he faces the greatest challenge of his life.
We continue to wait and hope for more positive updates from Jenni Meno and her family.
To date, the fundraiser has raised $157,650 for Todd Sand’s Canadian medical expenses.
If you are interested in donating, click here.
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