Beloved North Texas High School Coach Fighting For Life After COVID-19 Diagnosis
SUNNYVALE, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - One North Texas girls basketball team is heading into the playoffs without their beloved coach.
Casey Reeves, assistant coach of Sunnyvale High School's girls varsity basketball team, has dedicated his entire adult life to coaching.
"As a brother of Casey, you know how many lives he's touched," Casey Reeves' brother, Nick Reeves, said. "He's not married, doesn't have any of his own kids, but he's kind of taken in all these other athletes and students as his own kids."
Just two weeks ago, Reeves was celebrating "Senior Night" with his team, but now he's in the hospital and on a ventilator, fighting for his life after being diagnosed with COVID-19 on Jan. 29.
"He's been diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome which basically means that there's fluid that consistently builds up in his lungs," Nick said.
He said it's been an uphill battle, but the last few days, there has been progress.
"He's been on his back for about the last 24 hours which is a really positive thing," he said. "So he's still supported by the ventilator, but we're hopeful that the Lord will continue to heal him."
"It seems like steps in the right direction and of course so we're just encouraged by that," Sunnyvale High School varsity girls basketball head coach Jill McDill said.
For 20 years, Reeves has been coaching alongside head coach Jill McDill and now as their teams heads into the playoffs as undefeated district champs, there's a void.
On social media, McDill gives regular updates on Reeves' progress. She said for decades he's been cheering on his girls and now, it's their turn.
"A lot of people are like come on Casey, you can do it," she said. "Just hearing all of these words of encouragement has been incredibly affirming"
"I just want to say thank you so much for the generosity," Nick said. "The kindness. The outpouring of love. If he could, he would say thank you."
A GoFundMe page was created to help pay for medical bills.
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