PORT NECHES, Texas — The Port Neches community continues to rally for a highschool football player who sustained a serious brain injury after a Port Neches-Groves JV football game on Oct. 14.
Sophomore Noah Jackson is currently at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston receiving treatment after being placed in a medically induced coma.
A raffle is now being put in place to help the family with medical expenses and other potential needs.
Organizer Bret Romero spoke exclusively with 12News about how to get involved. He's said he has done a lot of charity events through the years and knew he had to do something to help Jackson's family.
The raffle package will include two, first level end-zone tickets in section 109, row 19 for the Cowboys v. Washington Football Team game on Dec. 26 at 7:30 p.m. It will also include a one-night hotel stay near AT&T Stadium.
One raffle ticket will sell for $10 and three tickets will sell for $20. They will be sold at PNG home varsity football games on Friday, Oct. 22 and 29 on both home and visitor sides.
Romero said they're working on getting a website up and running so tickets can be sold online, as well. Once they get that done, they'll post an update on Facebook.
According to Jackson's mother, Kim Borne, he is showing steady progress. In a recent Facebook post, Borne said doctors are reducing some of his IV medication and will reduce oxygen as needed.
Borne said doctors hope that in about 3-4 days, if Jackson is off oxygen assistance and his blood pressure is controlled by oral medication, he can move from the ICU to the neurosurgery floor.
“Every now and then he can open up his eyes and things like that, but doctors are amazed that after the injury he had that he is responding as well as he is over just 5 days," Romero said.
Borne took to Facebook Monday saying, “He opened those baby blues twice today!!! Praise god! It was brief but beautiful!! Gave us several thumbs up and last one was a strong one.”
Borne also said Jackson was taken off the ventilator, and his cervical collar and electroencephalogram were removed.
On Sunday, members of the Port Neches community, including Jackson’s family, friends, coaches and teammates, gathered at the Riverfront Park to uplift the injured teen in their thoughts and prayers.
Those in attendance said that even though they never expected something like this to happen, they have confidence that Jackson will come out of the ordeal stronger than ever.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with them every second. We're praying without ceasing around here. Our prayers are with him and his mom and his brothers. We're never going to stop praying for him. He's in great care at Texas Children's medical and we're praying for him everyday," said Brandon Faircloth, PNG head football coach.
Jackson was life flighted to the Houston hospital after suffering a head injury during a junior varsity football game.
Several posts could be found the next day on social media offering prayers for the teen and his family.
"I would like to sincerely thank everyone in our communities for the love, support and prayers. We can feel your prayers, and they are greatly appreciated," Kim Borne, Jackson's mother, told 12News on Friday morning.
"Noah’s first love is football, from the time he could say the word," she said.
"This is going to be a new journey for all of us. God is in control. I trust and have faith that He will see us through. Thank you, again, and remember to keep those prayers going," Borne said via Facebook messenger.