GA High Schooler Raises $14K For Friend Who Suffered Brain Injury In Football Accident

SMYRNA, GA — Jordan Sloan and Marcos San Miguel have been best friends since sixth grade. That's why San Miguel couldn't sit idly by when Sloan's life changed forever.

During a Sept. 25, 2020, high school football game, Sloan, then a 15-year-old sophomore at Pace Academy, took a critical hit to the back of his head. He suffered a traumatic brain injury to his brain stem, rendering him unable to move his arms or legs, according to his GoFundMe page.

"The rest of his brain is perfectly fine. His balance and coordination has been thrown completely off," Sloan's mom, Jasmine Jamieson, told CBS News.

The now 16-year-old attends rehab six days a week, approaching it "the same way he approached playing football, with the mentality of an elite athlete," the latest update from his GoFundMe page said.

Since the accident, Sloan has gone from barely being able to move, to now being able to move all his body parts over the last year. He's also starting to train in a walking machine, and received a custom manual wheelchair that wasn't covered by insurance — but that's where San Miguel came in.

San Miguel, a Campbell High School basketball player, started a pledge drive for Sloan and his family, and to help get him a new chair. Supporters donate every time he takes a charge on the basketball court, he told CBS News.

"I really wanted just to do whatever I could to help," he told the news outlet. "He would have done something similar for me."

The fundraiser has pooled more than $14,000 so far for Sloan and his family through Rally Up. You can donate online here.

"Taking charges, Jordan's journey, Shepherd Center, and the song Tubthumping by Chumbawamba are all about the same thing... getting knocked down and getting back up again," San Miguel wrote on Rally Up. "I'd be grateful for any support you can lend to this campaign for every time I get knocked down in order to get Jordan and others back up again and playing all the sports they love."

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