Northeast Metro Tech Football Player Injured During Game Is Recovering After Surgery, Family Says
WAKEFIELD (CBS) -- An injured 16-year-old Northeast Metro Tech football player has undergone surgery and is recovering, his family said in a statement. Brandon Cooke, suffered a head injury during a junior varsity football game at the Wakefield school on Saturday.
"Our son, Brandon Cooke, sustained a head injury while playing for the Northeast Metro Regional Vocational football team on Saturday. Brandon underwent surgery and is recovering at MassGeneral Hospital for Children. Our family would like to thank the football community, his care team, parents and friends for their many thoughts and prayers. We ask for privacy as we focus on Brandon's healing," the family said in a statement Tuesday. "Thank you for keeping our family in your prayers."
The Winthrop resident is an honor student and has a twin brother who was playing football at the time of the accident as well.
A GoFundMe page was set up to support Cooke's recovery. As of 10 p.m., it had raised more than $11,000.
"No amount is too small," the page said while asking for donations to help pay for Cooke's hospital stay and rehab.
The Northeast Metro Tech faculty offered counseling for the boy's teammates.
One Winthrop parent said the accident is a painful reminder of how dangerous high school sports can be. "It's very competitive, when you hear stories like that it breaks your heart. You wished you had very introduced them," said Said Lahyani.
