Illinois’ HIGHLAND PARK — Cooper Roberts’ family gave an update on his condition and thanked the “many, many people” who helped save his life on Sunday. Cooper Roberts, an 8-year-old boy, was hurt in the Highland Park parade shooting.
Cooper wasn’t shot in the chest as was first thought, but rather in the abdomen on July 4. Despite being upgraded to serious condition on Friday, the boy is still in pain, according to a family spokesperson, but he is improving. While Cooper is confirmed to be paralyzed from the waist down, doctors believe Cooper did not sustain any brain damage as a result of the shooting.
The boy will undergo another procedure on Monday to treat esophageal damage. An update from the doctors was included in Sunday’s statement:
Cooper suffered serious wounds in a dangerous environment. The left lobe of his liver, the esophagus just below his stomach, the abdominal aorta, and the spinal cord were all wounded by the bullet as it entered his upper abdomen. The bullet also injured his back and his rib cage. He needed an urgent procedure to stop the bleeding in his abdomen. The bleeding from the aorta could not be controlled from the abdomen because the missile entered just below the diaphragm, the muscle dividing the chest and abdomen. We had to open up his chest through a thoracotomy in order to temporarily clamp his aorta to stop the bleeding. The extent of the aorta injury necessitated removal of the damaged segment and replacement with an adult-sized synthetic graft so the patient could grow into it. The esophagus’ hole was patched up with sewing. His liver’s complicated injury was also fixed. His abdomen was left open with a specialized vacuum dressing due to the severity of his injuries and the enormous amount of blood transfusions he required throughout the procedure. His serious, potentially fatal wounds had been treated by this time, and he was stable enough to be moved to University of Chicago Comer Children’s Hospital for further treatment.
Cooper, his identical twin Luke, and his mother, Dr. Keely Roberts, the district 6 superintendent of Zion Elementary School, were all hit by bullets.
Doctors, emergency personnel, and the “thousands who have prayed, sent gifts, supported the family in numerous ways, donated to the GoFundMe campaign for Cooper’s long-term care” were all thanked by the family.
Over $1 million has been raised through the GoFundMe.
