KISSIMMEE, Fla. — A Florida high school basketball player who lost his arm at age 6 received his first Division I offer on Thursday.
Hansel Emmanuel Donato, a 6-foot, 5-inch rising senior at Life Christian Academy in Kissimmee, received the offer from Tennessee State University, Sports Illustrated reported.
Donato, 17, had his left arm amputated when a wall collapsed on him. He was trapped beneath the rubble for nearly two hours before he was rescued by his father, CBS Sports reported.
“Blessed to receive my first DI offer Thursday night from Tennessee State University,” Donato wrote on Instagram, where he has more than 612,000 followers. “Thank you for believing in my talents.”
Donato was born in the Dominican Republic and came to the United States in 2020 to play at Life Christian Academy on a scholarship, ESPN reported.
As a junior, Donato averaged 25.9 points and 11 rebounds per game, according to MaxPreps.
He did not have any NCAA Division I offers before Tennessee State contacted him, ESPN reported.
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