Football player suffers severe injury in game

Chris Norton (‘14) suffered a severe spinal cord injury during Luther’s home football game against Central College on Saturday, Oct. 16. Norton was involved in a tackle at the kickoff of the third quarter when he sustained his injury.

“[It was] truly just an accident,” Head Coach Mike Durnin said.

Norton was attended to by Luther Athletic Training staff on the field and then taken to the Winneshiek Medical Center, where he was prepped for transfer to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

Within 12 hours of his accident, Norton underwent surgery to repair fractures to his third and fourth cervical vertebrae. Since the surgery, he has been undergoing daily physical therapy sessions to help him regain function of his limbs.

Immediate family members started a blog site that they continually update about Norton’s recovery. Progress reports have been positive thus far.

“On Saturday night, we were told he would have a three percent chance of ever gaining any function from the neck down,” Terri Norton, Norton’s father, wrote on Monday, Oct. 18. “Sunday morning, he could wiggle his left arm. He is already in the three percent.”

Prayer services were held Oct. 20 in the CFL Recital Hall and at Bondurant-Farrar High School in Norton’s hometown of Altoona, Iowa. Family members expressed their gratitude for continued prayers and support.

“We can’t tell you how much we appreciate this, as we know the power of prayer,” a blog post on Oct. 21 said. “The support we have received has just been tremendous. Thank you so much.”

Norton was moved from Mayo’s Intensive Care Unit on Oct 21. He is currently in the Physical Therapy Unit of St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester, Minn.

Durnin reports that while Norton does have some tingling sensations throughout most of his body and is regaining some command of the muscles in his arms, there is still a long road to a full recovery.

“He will be there for some time,” Durnin said. “Once they feel confident of where he is, he will be released.”

Luther football coaching staff and team has been handling the situation with care.

“[The team] has a general love and concern for Chris and his family,” Durnin said. “They’re staying abreast of updates, keeping him in their thoughts and prayers and moving forward as they should.”

Norton’s story has reached nationwide news. Norton has received messages and phone calls from supporters across the country, including Ryan Clark of the Pittsburg Steelers and the University of Iowa football team. Luther alumni have also contacted the family to express their support.

Although it is difficult to know when, Durnin is confident that Norton will return to school.

“His goal is, when the time is right, he will be back here,” Durnin said.

Bracelets to support Norton are available at http://helpchrisnorton.com. T-shirts are also being sold on Luther’s campus. Contact cook.lindsey@hotmail.com for more information.

To read more about Norton’s progress and recovery, visit http://caringbridge.org/visit/chrisnorton for updates and his parents’ thoughts.

Eric LeGrand, aRutgers University football player, suffered identical injuries to Luther’s Chris Norton in a game against Army on Oct 16. LeGrand is being treated at Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, New Jersey. Injuries to the c-3 and c-4 vertebrae often result in quadriplegia, as well as lifelong use of a ventilator for breathing. As of Oct 26, LeGrand remained awake and on a ventilator. However, he had not shown any movement.