A 14-year-old Missouri boy who had ‘always dreamed of playing football’ was left paralyzed after playing in his first-ever high school game.
Ju’Lius Byers, a freshman at Liberty High School in suburban Kansas City, suffered a ‘devastating spinal injury’ at the September 3 game, ‘turning what should have been an exciting milestone into every parent’s worst nightmare,’ his family said.
Byers, who was described as outdoorsy and a fishing enthusiast, was injured in the second quarter after he ‘made a couple of plays’ against rival team Lee’s Summit, his father told Fox 4 Kansas City.
Ju’Lius remembers getting hit – ‘then I kind of like, blacked out a little bit,’ he told the outlet.
He woke up in the hospital with a concussion, three fractures in his neck and spinal cord damage. He has lost the use of both arms but is able to walk.
The teen has undergone two emergency surgeries at Children’s Mercy Hospital and is ‘beginning the long road of recovery,’ his father William Byers IV said in a GoFundMe campaign.
‘Keep praying because it’s working,’ Ju’Lius told Fox 4.
The family is looking to raise $26,000 for their son’s recovery, which will include ‘extended hospital stays, intensive rehabilitation and ongoing therapy.’
Ju’Lius Byers, a freshman at Liberty High School in suburban Kansas City, suffered a ‘devastating spinal injury’ during a September 3 game
Byers was injured in the second quarter of the game after he ‘made a couple of plays’ against rival team Lee’s Summit
He woke up in the hospital with a concussion, three fractures in his neck and spinal cord damage. He has lost the use of both arms but is able to walk
‘It’s very difficult to see your child in so much pain, so much hurt – even his mental state of what he’s going to be from now on, how he’s going to move on,’ his father told Fox 4.
His son is leaning on his faith to press forward.
‘Just waking up every day, praying, thanking God for what he’s done for me and all my family and friends,’ Ju’Lius said.
The teen had ‘dreamed of playing football all four years of high school,’ his family said, with the goal of playing in college at Missouri Western State University.
Now, he is focused on his recovery and could be discharged from the hospital as early as this week.
‘This accident changed our lives forever, but with God, he will make a way!’ his father wrote on the GoFundMe page.
‘With faith, love, continuous prayers, and the strength of his village, we believe Ju’Lius will continue to fight and heal,’ he added.
