Father of the Mayville State quarterback Matt Donovan gave an update on his son being hospitalized after suffering a horrific injury earlier this month.
“Some days really test your patience. Today was one of them,” Terry Donovan said via Facebook on Monday, September 28. “Matt is being treated for pneumonia. His provider feels comfortable with the treatment plan and told us that pneumonia is common for patients in the ICU, especially after time on a ventilator. We’re still scared.
Terry continued, “We were hoping he’d be ready to take that step on his own, but we’re hoping the trach will make him more comfortable and give him the best chance of recovery.
The quarterback’s father shared a positive update after sitting in the hospital with his son “all day.”
“For the first time, when I asked him to squeeze my hand, he was able to squeeze it over and over again,” said Terry. “I asked him to squeeze a little harder, and he did. He did it again while the provider was in the room. We’re still looking for other responses, like a thumb, and he’s not awake yet. But seeing him respond to my voice meant so much.”
Terry revealed that his son also squeezed his mother’s hand, Tina“on command twice.”
“We know there will be hard days and exciting times on this road, sometimes both in the same day,” Terry said. “We’ll stay strong for Matt, even when it’s hard to see him in that room. I believe this is one part of his story, and he has a lot more to write. Today, even through the storm, Matt moved the chains.”
He ended the post, “Please keep pouring prayers and positive thoughts into our boy. Keep fighting, Matt. I love you so much!”
Matt was involved in a helmet-to-helmet collision during a home game against Simpson University on Saturday, September 19th. His life was flown to receive medical care in Fargo, about 60 miles away from the Mayville campus in North Dakota.
“When he arrived in Fargo, he underwent brain surgery that lasted a little over two hours, where they removed part of his skull to release the pressure from the brain,” the school said in a statement on Sunday, September 20.
The school continued, “This morning his eyes reacted to light normally, which led the neurosurgeon to call it a win last night. He’s still in a doctor-induced coma, and he’s fighting like crazy. Your prayers are working and encouraged at this time.”
A GoFundMe set up in Matt’s honor has raised more than $109,000 at the time of publication.