Port_town_texas
11-19-2004, 09:32 PM
Titan player in ICU
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Meghan Vital-The News staff writer Posted: 11/18/04 - 11:10:57 pm CST
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Memorial High School football player is in intensive care at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston after being injured in a football game more than a month ago.
Jeremy McZeal, 16, has been a patient at the Houston hospital for weeks and the teen has undergone numerous surgeries stemming from a knee injury he obtained Oct. 16 during a football game against Kingwood. McZeal's injury led to blood clots and a bacterial infection of the wound, Stacy Watson, McZeal's mother, said.
"Both of his lungs had collapsed from blood clots," Watson added. "When the clots dissolved, they left air pockets and he had to have tubes left in his body to take care of that."
McZeal, a Titan wide receiver, has made some improvement, Watson noted, but the teen was listed in critical condition and was on life support not long ago.
"He has had several surgeries and is heavily medicated to alleviate some of the resulting pain," Watson said. "The surgical efforts and medicines to stop some internal bleeding, a collapsed lung and infected pockets in his lungs make his overall body very vulnerable, including his heart. He is being fed through tubes."
Port Arthur Independent School District teachers, coaches and school board members are all praying for the teen football player, PAISD President Willie Mae Elmroe said.
"What we know is that a young man was hurt during football game and ended up with blood clots," she said. "There is a lot of concern on behalf of coaches and other people. I was very concerned that one of our own kids at the school had been injured."
Elmore also noted that she was concerned with how the McZeal family would pay the hospital bills that have incurred, she said.
"I know it has been a bad financial situation," she said.
Watson, the mother of nine children, said she is having a difficult time traveling back and forth to Houston to be with her son.
"It has been a real struggle to get back and forth up here to the hospital," she noted. "I have had to get someone to go stay with my daughter back home."
The Men of Vision Group from Barnes Memorial United Methodist Church in Port Arthur has set up a special account at Texas State Bank, which has 67 branches located across Texas. Persons and organizations wishing to contribute to the Jeremy McZeal Fund may send contributions to any Texas State Bank for deposit to the account number 280174305.
Funds will be used to help with medical costs related to McZeal's hospitalization and family travel to and from Houston.
"I take all that love from the community back with me to Houston," Watson said. "I want to thank everyone for their prayers. Without them, Jeremy probably wouldn't be here."
For more information about the Jeremy McZeal fund, contact Betty Polk, fund coordinator, at 736-1648. To make a contribution, stop by any Texas State Bank and make a deposit to account number 280174305 or mail in a contribution to Texas State Bank, Attention: Jeremy McZeal Fund, P.O. Box 25016, Beaumont, Texas, 77720.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Meghan Vital-The News staff writer Posted: 11/18/04 - 11:10:57 pm CST
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A Memorial High School football player is in intensive care at Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston after being injured in a football game more than a month ago.
Jeremy McZeal, 16, has been a patient at the Houston hospital for weeks and the teen has undergone numerous surgeries stemming from a knee injury he obtained Oct. 16 during a football game against Kingwood. McZeal's injury led to blood clots and a bacterial infection of the wound, Stacy Watson, McZeal's mother, said.
"Both of his lungs had collapsed from blood clots," Watson added. "When the clots dissolved, they left air pockets and he had to have tubes left in his body to take care of that."
McZeal, a Titan wide receiver, has made some improvement, Watson noted, but the teen was listed in critical condition and was on life support not long ago.
"He has had several surgeries and is heavily medicated to alleviate some of the resulting pain," Watson said. "The surgical efforts and medicines to stop some internal bleeding, a collapsed lung and infected pockets in his lungs make his overall body very vulnerable, including his heart. He is being fed through tubes."
Port Arthur Independent School District teachers, coaches and school board members are all praying for the teen football player, PAISD President Willie Mae Elmroe said.
"What we know is that a young man was hurt during football game and ended up with blood clots," she said. "There is a lot of concern on behalf of coaches and other people. I was very concerned that one of our own kids at the school had been injured."
Elmore also noted that she was concerned with how the McZeal family would pay the hospital bills that have incurred, she said.
"I know it has been a bad financial situation," she said.
Watson, the mother of nine children, said she is having a difficult time traveling back and forth to Houston to be with her son.
"It has been a real struggle to get back and forth up here to the hospital," she noted. "I have had to get someone to go stay with my daughter back home."
The Men of Vision Group from Barnes Memorial United Methodist Church in Port Arthur has set up a special account at Texas State Bank, which has 67 branches located across Texas. Persons and organizations wishing to contribute to the Jeremy McZeal Fund may send contributions to any Texas State Bank for deposit to the account number 280174305.
Funds will be used to help with medical costs related to McZeal's hospitalization and family travel to and from Houston.
"I take all that love from the community back with me to Houston," Watson said. "I want to thank everyone for their prayers. Without them, Jeremy probably wouldn't be here."
For more information about the Jeremy McZeal fund, contact Betty Polk, fund coordinator, at 736-1648. To make a contribution, stop by any Texas State Bank and make a deposit to account number 280174305 or mail in a contribution to Texas State Bank, Attention: Jeremy McZeal Fund, P.O. Box 25016, Beaumont, Texas, 77720.