By Staff Reports
The family of Lux Smith says the Ruston-area freshman football player who collapsed during workouts last week is showing encouraging signs of improvement, although he remains in critical condition and faces a long road to recovery, according to multiple social media posts from the family.
In a Facebook update posted Sunday morning, Lux’s father, Jacob Smith, said his son has remained stable for the past three days while receiving treatment at Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.
“Overall, he’s doing much better,” Smith wrote. “He’s been pretty stable the last three days, which is more than we could have hoped for considering where he was.”
Smith said Lux remains asleep and on a ventilator. An MRI performed Saturday showed some injury to portions of his brain, but the family remains hopeful about his recovery.
“He had an MRI yesterday that did show some injury on parts of his brain, but when he wakes up we are hopeful that a lot of rehab and therapy can get him on track,” Smith wrote.
Lux also remains on dialysis to support kidney function while doctors continue monitoring concerns involving his liver. According to the update, his liver-related numbers have shown gradual improvement.
“Lux’s liver is still a concern, but his numbers are improving, slowly,” Smith wrote.
Doctors are expected to begin introducing small amounts of nutrition through a nasal feeding tube in the coming days.
The update marked the latest development in a week that has gripped the Lincoln Parish community.
According to family members and friends, Lux collapsed Monday morning while participating in football activities and suffered a medical emergency. He was later transferred to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, where he has remained under intensive medical care.
The Lincoln Parish School Board released a statement Friday expressing support for Lux and his family.
“Ruston High School and the Lincoln Parish School Board continue to pray for Lux Smith, a student athlete who sustained a heat injury while participating in football activities this week,” the statement said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Lux and his family.”
School officials said student safety remains their highest priority and noted that the district follows heat-safety guidelines and recommendations established by the Louisiana High School Athletic Association.
“The safety of our students is always our highest priority, and we are following the heat safety guidelines and recommendations of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association,” the statement said.
The school system also said it has remained in contact with the Smith family throughout the week.
Community support for Lux was on full display Friday morning as nearly 200 people gathered at Cedar Creek School for a prayer vigil.
Students, educators, coaches, business leaders and residents from throughout Lincoln Parish joined together to pray for Lux, his family and the medical professionals caring for him.
Lincoln Parish Schools Superintendent Ricky Durrett attended the gathering and said the focus remained on supporting the Smith family.
“We are here to be supportive of Lux and his family — praying for them just like everybody else,” said Durrett, who also said he couldn’t comment on any specifics associated with the incident. “We are praying for his doctors and that he will make a full recovery.”
Cedar Creek girls basketball coach Katie Hall said the turnout at the prayer vigil reflected the strength of the community during difficult times.
“People know in our community; when someone is hurting, we’re here,” said Hall. “It just puts things into perspective, and makes me love being in Ruston, Louisiana. This is a place for a family, and I’m proud to be a part of it and raise my family here.”
In Sunday’s update, Jacob Smith thanked the community for the support his family has received since the incident.
“I’ve learned over the last week these updates have become a crucial part of where we are now with Lux,” he wrote. “We couldn’t do this — Lux couldn’t do this without all of the love and support that we’ve received over the last week.”
Smith said the family remains grateful for the messages, visits and encouragement they have received from across the region.
“We are not out of the woods yet,” he wrote, “but we are heading in the right direction.”
A gofundme page has been set up to help with the medical expenses and as of Sunday afternoon more than $32,000 had been raised.
