Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

BRIDGE CITY — A local high school football player is recovering after a collision in last week’s gridiron contest against Silsbee left him temporarily paralyzed.

Abraham “Mungy” Munguia was shoved out of bounds in the fourth quarter of the Bridge City High game and landed on his head. The fall caused him to lose feeling below his neck.

Munguia was life flighted to Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, where doctors performed multiple scans.

Family friend Holly Millner Bush said Munguia has since regained feeling in his body but is now undergoing the long process of recovering.

Munguia was moved to the rehab floor Monday. In a Facebook post, Bush said Munguia advanced to a three-step shuffle with a walker to walking to the therapy gym and back with a walker. On Wednesday, Munguia walked without a walker, assisted by staff.

Bush told Port Arthur Newsmedia there is no exact timetable for Munguia’s release, and it depends on what the medical team sees over the next few days and weeks. She said the earliest Munguia could come home is some time at the end of next week.

“He is a tough kid,” Bush said. “I have no doubt we will see a full recovery when his body is healed.”

She said the family and Munguia are seeing amazing support from the community.

“Several gift baskets have been sent from various athletic groups and school staff,” she said. “(There has also been) fundraising efforts, gift cards, cash gifts, T-shirt sales and the proceeds from Friday night’s photos taken by LK Anderson Photography were given to the family.

“The support has been unbelievable.”

Munguia, along with others at Texas Children’s, received another gift of sorts.

He was able to meet members of the Houston Texans, who spent time at the hospital trick-or-treating with patients. A photo was taken of Munguia and the Texans star rookies C.J. Stroud and Will Anderson.

All too familiar sight

The story of a high school football player being taken by a medical helicopter hit close to home for those in a nearby city.

Munguia’s injury took place almost two years to the day after Port Neches-Groves football player Noah Jackson was life flighted after suffering a severe head injury in a junior varsity game.

Jackson’s mom Kim Borne said all of the emotions of that night flooded back as she read the social media post about Munguia’s injury.

“My heart immediately sank in my stomach,” she said. “I knew exactly what that mother was going through; the worry, the confusion and the feeling of not being able to get to Houston fast enough to be with your child.”

Borne, who wrote a post calling for prayer for Munguia on a Facebook page dedicated to updating people on Noah’s progress, said she has not yet tried to reach out to Munguia’s family.

“I wanted to give them time to adjust to what is happening,” she said. “I know what it is like to get hundreds of messages a day.”

Jackson spent 40 days in the hospital recovering from a fractured skull. His mom said she and her son talked briefly about the injury to Munguia, but added the conversation was difficult for her son, who would be playing his senior season for PNG, if it were not for the injury.

“He did say he would pray for him and hopes he fully recovers,” Borne said. “I would tell (Munguia and his family) don’t give up. Keep your faith in God and know that he is the great physician. Lean on your family, faith and friends.”

— Written by Chris Moore