Middle schooler struck in head during PE by thrown ‘metal object,’ suffers brain injury
By Neal Augenstein
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MONTGOMERY OCUNTY, Maryland (WTOP) — The mother of a Montgomery County Public Schools middle schooler says her son suffered brain injuries after being struck by a thrown “metal object” during gym class last Wednesday.
Emily Diaz, who said her son’s name is Lenny, established a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised more than $30,000 as of Monday morning.
The boy was hit in the head “by what was described as a metal object thrown by another student,” according to an email to the Odessa Shannon Middle School community from Natasha Booms, principal of the school, located on Monticello Avenue, in Silver Spring, Maryland.
Diaz said her son’s injury “was an open skull injury and the bone fragments went into his brain,” she wrote. “He’s currently in PICU and on a breathing tube to help him breathe and recover.”
“Our thoughts and hearts are with the student and their family, and we are staying in contact to offer support and receive updates on their condition,” wrote the principal. “Our staff will continue to reinforce expectations for safety and appropriate behavior, and additional supports are available for students or staff who may need to talk about what happened.”
Diaz described her son as “a very smart, loving, adventurous young boy,” but “we are unsure of how he will be after recovery, but the possibilities of him being impaired are there,” in terms of speech, mobility and memory.
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