A 14-year-old from Missouri was partially paralyzed after being injured during his first high school football game.
Ju’Lius Byers, a freshman at Liberty High School in Liberty, Mo., fractured three vertebrae, ruptured his spinal cord and suffered a concussion during a game against Lee Summit on Sept. 3, his father William Byers IV told KCTV in Missouri.
Ju’Lius Byers, also known as “JuJu,” was involved in a violent collision that left him partially paralyzed, the station reports.
KCTV adds that Byers was taken to Children’s Mercy Hospital where he underwent an eight-hour surgery. He has since regained movement in his legs and is working to strengthen his shoulders and arms, the station reports.
FOX 4 in Missouri adds that the injury occurred during the second quarter of Ju’Lius Byers’ first high school football game.
Byers is now at home and has been released from the hospital, according to FOX 4. His family added that they have found him a physical therapy center where he can begin rehab.
A GoFundMe page was started for Ju’Lius Byers and, as of Thursday afternoon, nearly $39,000 has been raised.
According to the page, which was started by his father, Ju’Lius plays basketball, track and football and is dreaming of playing college football at University of Missouri Western.
Byers’ rehab is set to include “hospital stays, intensive rehabilitation, and ongoing therapy,” per the GoFundMe page.
“As his family, we are doing everything we can to support him, but the financial burden of medical expenses, travel, home modifications, and the specialized care Ju’Lius will need has become overwhelming,” William Byers IV said on the GoFundMe page. “That’s why we are reaching out for your love, prayers, and support. This accident changed our lives forever, but with God, he will make a way!”