Paralyzed NH High School Football Player Inspiring Community to Help
NASHUA, N.H. (CBS) - Cooper Doucette says he doesn't ask "why me."
Instead, the 15-year-old Nashua North High School student who was paralyzed during a pre-season football practice drill focuses on his progress and looks ahead, with goals of regaining movement, going to college, getting a good job, and hopefully walking again.
Cooper says, "I don't think why me. Stuff happens for a reason. It was a mistake." He explains, "I just try and do better to work hard. I try and not think about it happening."
WBZ-TV's Karen Anderson reports.
Cooper is now living at home and is back at school, caught up on his missed classes from the months he spend in rehab at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. An anonymous donor gave Cooper's family an accessible van.
Cooper is incredibly grateful and humble, and says: "I can't say enough thank you's to all of the people who are supporting me and fundraising for me to so I can do better."
Cooper's attitude that is inspiring the community to help him.
Ten-year-old Isabel Keefe and her father Ray heard about Cooper's accident, and decided they wanted to do something to make his journey easier. Isabel brought two collection boxes to school, and every other day on the school announcements, she and a friend remind classmates to donate money to Cooper's SupaCoop Fund. Her father is also organizing a raffle, including two tickets for a Red Sox-Yankees game on Saturday, April 9 in the State Street Pavillion, Section 10, Row D, Seat 9 & 10.
Ray Keefe gets emotional when he thinks about what Cooper has gone through.
"It could happen to anybody. It would be your son, your brother, your child." He says, "For a little investment and a lot of hard work, you can make a world of difference in someone's life."
Keefe says he hopes he can help Cooper "have some normalcy, that he can do thing the wants to do, that he can go to college, and maybe he can get up out of that wheelchair again."
Each Raffle ticket is $50. So far, they have raised more than $4,000.
If you're interested in joining the raffle, you can email Ray Keefe at info@prepressplus.com. All donations go directly to Cooper's fund.
If you'd like to donate directly to Cooper's fund, you can go online to supacoop.org.
