High School Student, 15, Left Paralyzed After Attempting Tackle During First Football Game
Caring Bridge Ethan Glynn
A high schooler from Minnesota may be permanently paralyzed after he suffered a severe injury during a football game this month.
Bloomington Jefferson High School freshman Ethan Glynn was "unable to feel anything" after he went for a tackle during a football game on Sept. 2, organizers wrote on a CaringBridge page set up for the 15-year-old and his family.
"He suffered a severe neck and spinal cord injury that has left him paralyzed from the shoulders down," a description on the page said. "He has a long road ahead of him, but he is a fighter and we have no doubt that he will give it his all."
Tim Carlson, the head coach of the Jefferson Jaguars football team, told ABC affiliate KSTP that Glynn may have tripped before making the tackle and slammed his head into another player.
"Ethan's a smart kid and as they were asking him questions, [Ethan] knew the answers he was giving were not good answers on what he could feel or touch," Carlson told KSTP.
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According to CBS affiliate WCCO, the game was the first of Glynn's high school career. He is a talented athlete, the news station added, and was the captain of a youth hockey team that earned a spot in the state championships.
"This is a captain guy," John Frein, a family friend, told WCCO. "I mean, you see in many pictures he's got a C on his chest."
In an update to the CaringBridge page on Tuesday, loved ones said Glynn is receiving physical therapy on his arms and legs while in the hospital. He underwent surgery the day before, an update said, and has been placed on a ventilator.
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"We really can't thank everyone enough for the support you have given E and our family during this time," they said. "As many of you know E, he is a fighter and will face this like any other challenges he has faced."
A GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for Glynn's medical expenses has raised over $118,000 as of Thursday afternoon.
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Bloomington School District spokesman Rick Kaufman told the Minnesota Star Tribune that the Jefferson High School football players were offered support following the incident.
"The football teams will gather after school to process the incident and meet with coaches and our counseling teams," he said, "all who have significant experience and training in traumatic events."
