Traumatic Brain Injury: Middle School Student Hospitalized After Festival Injury

Eighth grader Dakota Abernathy suffered a serious head injury at the Jellyfish Festival at Choctawhatchee High School in Florida over the weekend. Abernathy was playing on a three-lane bungee run game provided by Emerald Coast Entertainment. After leaving the ride, he began to complain of dizziness, sat down, and began convulsing. Lisa Lynn-Clawson, a parent involved in the festival, said that, "as of Monday night, there had been no change in his condition, although he was responsive. The swelling has stopped, but he was still on a ventilator. The doctors said it was a contracoup injury, like shaken baby syndrome."

Middle School Student Hospitalized After Suffering Serious Injury at Festival

Abernathy played the trumpet in a jazz performance associated with the festival on Friday night. He is a member of the school's symphonic band. A group of ten of Abernathy's friends from band have made bracelets to help the Abernathy family pay medical bills. Kelsey Bard, the leader of the group, says that "my parents were talking about how expensive it would be, and I was trying to think of a way to raise money to help. I wanted to do something to unite the school and help people realize what was going on, and also help make us all feel better about doing something to help."