NJ College Athlete Hit In Head By Line Drive, $46K Raised For His Recovery

LITTLE FALLS, NJ — Community members have raised more than $46,000 to support a recent Passaic Valley graduate, who was seriously injured while practicing with his college baseball team.

Nicholas Fiorita graduated high school this year and went on to play for the County College of Morris. According to his sister Sofia, he was struck in the head by a line drive during practice on Sept. 4 and had to be given CPR, before being taken to the hospital.

At the hospital, Nicholas was intubated and put into a coma to help reduce brain swelling. Via GoFundMe, Sofia said her brother is now breathing on his own again. However, she added that he "will have a long road ahead" and that it is "too early to tell how his brain will respond to the injury."

"My brother Nicholas is one of the most thoughtful, kind, and caring men you will ever meet," she wrote. "Anyone that meets him instantly feels his strength, his love, his faith, his humor, and his beautiful soul. If you meet my brother, you love him."

More than 650 people have donated to the online fundraiser, which has reached almost $47,000 as of Friday afternoon, Sept. 13. Proceeds from the GoFundMe will help cover medical costs and support Nicholas's rehabilitation, and the fundraising goal is $50,000.

On behalf of her family, Sofia expressed her thanks to those who have donated and supported the family.

"All of us, especially Nicholas, feel the love, the prayer, the faith, the positivity that is encompassing us," she wrote.

She had also asked people to pray for her brother, who "is a strong believer in the power of prayer."

"He is one of the strongest people I know," she said. "Let's help him win this battle!"

View the GoFundMe page to support Nicholas here.