A high school senior from Prosper has been hospitalized for about two months after doctors discovered a right-side frontal lobe brain bleed.
Addison Harmon, 18, was reportedly at a friend’s house when he had a severe headache. His parents took him to a local emergency room. Doctors realized, however, that he needed to be transferred to Dallas. He has been at Dallas Children’s Hospital ever since.
Harmon’s parents are dedicated to their son’s recovery. They reorganized their lives so they could support him during his hospital stay, spending nights there, driving back to Prosper at 5 a.m. to get ready for and go to work, and then returning to Dallas Children’s to spend evenings with Addison.
“This definitely wasn’t part of the plan and that’s OK,” said Addison’s father Chris Harmon, speaking with Fox 4.
Addison played point guard for Prosper High School and entered his senior year with exciting opportunities. According to his Twitter, he got college offers from Metropolitan State University of Denver and Angelo State University.
After his brain bleed was discovered, he had to put basketball on hold. “This 18-year-old that was driving, taking care of himself, and then all of a sudden … he’s disabled,” Tinika Harmon, Addison’s mother, told Fox 4.
Doctors diagnosed Harmon with frontal lobe brain bleed, a dangerous hemorrhage within the brain tissue that can cause brain damage and even death.
“They did all sorts of tests and they still don’t know what actually caused it,” his father stated.
Still, Harmon’s parents told Fox 4 that the hospital’s doctors have been impressed with his recovery and that they themselves have been moved by their son’s determination to get better.
“He has been my inspiration. The way he gets up every day, he’s joking and smiling and happy to be here,” Tinika said. “I just look at him and say, ‘Hey, I can’t complain about anything.'”
Harmon is currently spending several hours a day in physical therapy to regain strength and functionality in the left side of his body.
“He sees himself back on the basketball court. He sees himself going to college and playing collegiate basketball. That’s what he sees,” Tinika said.
The next step for Harmon, his parents said, is outpatient therapy.
A family friend organized a GoFundMe to support the Harmons as they work to pay their medical bills and gas for their lengthy commute between work, home, and the hospital.
“Addison still has a long road ahead, and this fund will go towards gas, dining out, and hopefully help a little with hospital bills,” wrote Heather Leatherwood, organizer of the GoFundMe on behalf of the Harmons.
Harmon’s parents said how grateful and overwhelmed they have been by the support received from friends and the Prosper community.
“We say thank you all the time,” Tinika Harmon said.
