A Message To Charger Fans:

[Chispa]

A FELLOW CHARGER FAN NEEDS PRAYERS AND ENCOURAGEMENT

Dear Fellow Charger Fans:

On Friday night, a high school football player suffered a spinal injury during a game.

Cody plays fullback and outside linebacker for the Santa Monica Vikings. The picture above shows him running onto the field for Friday's game. He is number 14.

I know of Cody through a colleague who is the father of another SMHS player.

He tells me that "Cody's surgery was considered very successful by the doctors. They removed fragments of bones and stabilized his spine with rods and pins. The fact that he had sensation in both hands on Saturday is considered a very positive sign, however only the coming days and weeks will show what the full potential for recovery will be. Although he has been placed on ventilation as a precaution, he was able to breathe on his own prior to surgery, so it is expected that he will be able to do so once the ventilation is removed."

He also tells me that "Cody's passion for football led him to be placed on the varsity team in 10th grade. Despite this honor, he remained friends with the other sophomore players who were all on JV, and he played in several JV games as well. Last year, the JV team gave out only two special awards at the end of the season. Cody's best friend was "Most Improved Player" and Cody was "MVP." Cody's mother is the kind of mother who is always involved and supportive. She never passes up an opportunity to volunteer or donate to the team or the school and she is always concerned for all of the boys."

Additionally, he says "[t]his football team has been an enormously positive influence for all of the boys involved. The boys range greatly in social, cultural and racial backgrounds, and their homes range from mansions to homeless. For the past two years, they've had a weekly study night and have pulled together to help boys in danger of becoming academically unqualified to play. Cody and several other boys took an AP history course over the summer so that they could maintain a college-preparatory course load and still devote enough time to the team." Cody hoped for a college football scholarship.

Finally, like the rest of us here, CODY IS ALSO A BIG FAN OF THE CHARGERS.

Cards, letters, and other small gifts from fellow Charger fans would probably be a great encouragement in his recovery. Any card or letter wishing him well would be a great comfort to him and his mother. I'd bet a blockbuster or iTunes card to get some music or movies would be greatly appreciated. Anything you can think of that would make it easier for a normally active teen-aged boy - send it along. The hospital does not allow food, flowers, or plants as gifts.

The address for Cody is:

Cody Williams
c/o UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center
757 Westwood Plaza
Room 6453
Los Angeles, CA 90095

If anyone has any connections with Charger players - past or present - please do what you can to pass this along. I can't imagine how much it would mean to Cody to get a message of encouragement from one of the Charger players themselves. (I've written to the front office, but I don't know that it will get anyone's attention in the stacks and stacks of mail they must receive. I've also written to the Buffalo Bill's front office given that they just went through this with Kevin Everett and it might resonate with them.)

We will all wake up tomorrow and continue with our usual routines. Please take time out, though, to send good thoughts or prayers to Cody and his mother, whose lives right now are anything but routine. As a mother, I can't begin to imagine. Please do what you can.

Many thanks.

(If you are a member of other Charger fan sites, please share this information to help Cody.)

[TheDeliverator]

Chippie.

You should tweet the link to this.

[Chispa]

Oh, believe me, I'm perilously and unapologetically close to spam.

Can you imagine? One day you're a sixteen year old football star and the next day you're on a ventilator?

I don't mind embarrassing myself if it does anything that might help this kid.

[3Wolves1Moon]

Hurts my heart. I'm an SCI survivor, living with it, and continuing to rehabilitate since Oct. 2006. I'm only an L1 incomplete, one of the lucky ones, but when I first hit the ground (motorcycle accident) I was unable to move below the waist. Also cracked C7, but no SCI there. Do you know if it was in the cervical region? I assume so since you mentioned "sensation in his hands" and "ventilator."

If you can pass on one thing, have someone tell him about the story of Aaron Bakers. You can look him up on myspace, his own site, and Life Rolls On Foundation. He was a quad who can now walk after years of rehab. Inspiring to say the least. He recently completed a cross country bicycle tour to raise awareness and funds for SCI research.

[Chispa]

You know, a card from you would probably be HUGE support to him and his mother.

[KimPossible]

Originally Posted by Chispa

Oh, believe me, I'm perilously and unapologetically close to spam.

Can you imagine? One day you're a sixteen year old football star and the next day you're on a ventilator?

I don't mind embarrassing myself if it does anything that might help this kid.

I'm with you Chispa. That's a devastating situation. For him and his family and friends. I wish I could figure out the Twitter links.

[KimPossible]

Originally Posted by 3Wolves1Moon

Hurts my heart. I'm an SCI survivor, living with it, and continuing to rehabilitate since Oct. 2006. I'm only an L1 incomplete, one of the lucky ones, but when I first hit the ground (motorcycle accident) I was unable to move below the waist. Also cracked C7, but no SCI there. Do you know if it was in the cervical region? I assume so since you mentioned "sensation in his hands" and "ventilator."

wow.

Originally Posted by Chispa

You know, a card from you would probably be HUGE support to him and his mother.

I agree.

[TheDeliverator]

Originally Posted by 3Wolves1Moon

Hurts my heart. I'm an SCI survivor, living with it, and continuing to rehabilitate since Oct. 2006. I'm only an L1 incomplete, one of the lucky ones, but when I first hit the ground (motorcycle accident) I was unable to move below the waist. Also cracked C7, but no SCI there. Do you know if it was in the cervical region? I assume so since you mentioned "sensation in his hands" and "ventilator."

If you can pass on one thing, have someone tell him about the story of Aaron Bakers. You can look him up on myspace, his own site, and Life Rolls On Foundation. He was a quad who can now walk after years of rehab. Inspiring to say the least. He recently completed a cross country bicycle tour to raise awareness and funds for SCI research.

Glad to hear you're doing alright Wolves.

[KimPossible]

Originally Posted by TheDeliverator

Glad to hear you're doing alright Wolves.

Me too.

[3Wolves1Moon]

Originally Posted by TheDeliverator

Glad to hear you're doing alright Wolves.

Thanks, yeah...I had a 1% chance of walking according to my neurologist at the time...I went surfing twice this weekend. That's a whole lot of win.