A Pennsylvania teenager remains hospitalized four days after he collapsed during a game. Carter Mason suffered a "severe helmet hit" during a Rochester High School football game on Oct. 4.
The student's family shared an update via a GoFundMe page which was created to help his mother pay medical bills. "After a severe helmet hit on the field, he made it to the sideline and collapsed. He has not regained consciousness and has a brain bleed," Carter's aunt Sandra Friend wrote on Saturday.
Friend later provided an encouraging update saying Mason was "breathing on his own," and doctors "removed the intubation." She also noted that medical personnel "topped the sedation" and "the teenager was "briefly opening his eyes."
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"We’re just taking it day-by-day," Carter’s uncle Dean Friend said in a video update on Sunday from the teenager's bedside.
"Carter’s making some good progress," Sandra Friend added. "He is responding to some commands, he is saying words when he gets up, and he can sit up a little bit. We are hopeful that things are going to go well."
Carter's mother Terri said Friday's collision resulted in "multiple, multiple concussions."
News station WPXI reported that Carter was receiving treatment at UPMC Children’s Hospital in Pittsburgh. Carter's teammates assisted him as he walked to the sideline following the hit. Terri told the outlet that Carter lost consciousness shortly after he was hit in the fourth quarter.
She recalled the thoughts that went through her mind during the frightening moment. "My reaction was to get my daughter and just hurry up and get here as fast as I could," Carter's mother told WPXI. "I was so scared."
Carter was reportedly wearing a Guardian Cap at the time of the hard hit.
The protective padded caps were introduced with the goal of reducing the risk of head injuries when contact occurs between football players on any given play. The caps are designed to be able to absorb an estimated 10% of the force of a hit, according to research compiled by the NFL.
The Rochester Area School District released a statement saying Carter was in everyone's thoughts.
"The Rochester Area School District, including families, students and staff send their thoughts and prayers to the student, his family, our coaches and team, along with the Rochester school community," the school district said in a statement shared on social media.
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