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St. Charles North football player back at home after brain injury

A St. Charles North football player who suffered a severe brain injury in October has returned home from the hospital to "continue his road to recovery," his family says.

Aidan Carlson, a sophomore running back and linebacker, had been hospitalized since Oct. 4, when he collapsed after a sophomore football game at St. Charles East High School. The 15-year-old underwent emergency neurosurgery, spent three days in a medically induced coma and had been going through an inpatient recovery phase, according to updates posted on a GoFundMe page by his uncle, Sean Peters.

On Wednesday, a photo was posted of Aidan standing in front of his house, surrounded by large North Stars-themed yard signs spelling out, "Welcome Home, Aidan."

"Today is a great day!" Peters said in the update. "He will still be recovering and has a ways to go with rehab, but all in all this is very exciting for him and his family."

The day of his injury, Aidan played the entire game and left the field with no visible signs of distress. But he later fell unconscious in the parking lot on the way to the locker room, according to multiple sources close to the situation.

He was taken by ambulance to Delnor Hospital in Geneva and airlifted to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge, where he underwent multiple procedures and began his recovery process. Aidan was transferred out of the intensive care unit Oct. 9 and began an inpatient rehabilitation phase Oct. 15, according to updates from Peters.

"Seeing him walk again just a week after him waking (from a coma) was a joy," Peters said in the Oct. 15 update. "There will be many hurdles in his rehab, but I know he will face these challenges with the same determination he showed on the football field."

Community members have been showing support for Aidan since his injury. His sophomore teammates honored him during their Oct. 11 game. And as of Thursday, 586 people have donated $34,600 to the GoFundMe page.

"Thank you all again so much for your support and generosity," Peters said Wednesday. "Aidan and his family really have been blessed by all the support from everyone."

• Daily Herald staff writer Jerry Fitzpatrick contributed to this report.

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