Mayville State quarterback Matt Donovan is in a coma and ‘fighting like crazy’ after a brutal injury led to portions of his skull being removed.
Donovan was ‘life flighted’ to a nearby hospital after suffering the head injury during the third quarter of the Comets’ 42-41 win over Simpson University.
According to his sister, Ashley, the quarterback collapsed after a ‘head-to-head’ collision that left him with a brain bleed.
‘He underwent surgery on his brain that lasted just over two hours, where they removed portions of his skull, in order to release the pressure from his brain,’ the team announced on social media.
‘After leaving surgery he was released into the intensive care unit and is under some of the best medical care in the Midwest.
‘This morning his eyes reacted to light in a normal manner, which caused the neurosurgeon to say last night was a win. He is still in a medically induced coma and is fighting like crazy. Your prayers are working and encouraged at this time.’
Mayville State’s Matt Donovan is in a coma after portions of his skull were removed
The quarterback collapsed after a ‘head-to-head’ collision that left him with a brain bleed
‘I would do anything to hear you say I love you mama,’ his mom wrote on Facebook
The head coach of Mayville State, Rocky Larson, was overcome with emotion after his team bounced back to secure victory. He described witnessing Donovan’s injury as ‘one of the darkest moments I’ve had in coaching.’
Larson told KVRR Fox: ‘For our kids to bounce back and find a way to win that football game is why you do what you do.’
He continued: ‘Stuff is going to get hard in your life and we talk all the time about growing boys into men and I watched a lot of boys turn into men today… it felt insurmountable and our kids didn’t quit.’
A GoFundMe page has been set up to ‘help support Matthew’s family with lodging and dining… along with medical expenses related to his care and recovery.’
At the time of writing, it had raised nearly $33,500 of its $40,000 target.
‘He is definitely not out of the woods yet. The next couple of days are still very important because swelling can continue or increase. They plan to keep him heavily sedated for at least another day so his brain can continue to rest and heal,’ Donovan’s father, Terry Donovan, wrote on social media.
‘The amount of support, messages, love, and prayers we have received is beyond anything we could have imagined. We cannot thank everyone enough. After surgery yesterday, things looked very scary. please keep praying for our son. We truly believe those prayers are being heard.’
The quarterback’s mother, Tina, posted a picture of her son and wrote: ‘I love this kid with all my heart! I would do anything to hear you say I love you mama.’
