The Academy football team is honoring injured student-athlete Brayton White by wearing helmet stickers with his number, displaying support and uniting the community.
LITTLE RIVER-ACADEMY, Texas — A Little River Academy seventh grader is recovering after a serious go-kart accident that left him with a fractured skull and several days in intensive care.
Brayton White, who plays football and baseball for Academy, was injured when a side-by-side vehicle collided with the go-kart he was riding. Both vehicles turned at the same time, and the side-by-side’s brush guard struck Brayton in the head, according to his family.
His cousin, Academy senior Reed White, said he learned about the crash shortly after church when a friend called to check on his family. When he arrived at the hospital, Brayton was already in surgery. Seeing him later in the ICU on a ventilator, Reed said, was difficult because “he just wasn’t in good condition.”
After surgery and rehab, Brayton was released from an Austin hospital last Friday. He’s now back home continuing to recover, and doctors expect a full recovery. Reed said the two have always been close despite their age gap, calling Brayton “a little knucklehead,” but adding that he loves him like a brother.
To show their support, the Academy football team is wearing helmet stickers featuring Brayton’s jersey number — nine — throughout the season. Head coach Chris Kuhn said the idea came from parents and senior moms who wanted to honor him. “If you know anything about Academy, you know this community is great,” Kuhn said. “The easiest decision I made was to say yes.”
For Kuhn, Brayton’s accident hit especially close to home. He said seeing Brayton in the hospital reminded him of his own son, who is about the same age. “It ate me up inside,” Kuhn said. “I could just picture my son there, and that would be awful.”
Despite the difficult days, Kuhn said the Academy community has shown its strength by rallying around the White family. “We’re together through thick and thin,” he said. “We call it the hive mentality, and it goes far beyond sports.”
A barbecue fundraiser and silent auction will be held Oct. 12 to help cover Brayton’s medical expenses. Donations can also be made through the family’s GoFundMe.