Neiron Ball's family talks fundraising for his care after brain aneurysm

JACKSON, Ga. (FOX 5 Atlanta) - With over $100,000 raised, the family of former NFL linebacker Neiron Ball says they're not close to finished.

"It's really simple for us. As long as he's fighting, we're fighting," said Dary Myricks, Ball's former position coach at Jackson High School.

Dary is currently the head coach at Jackson. His wife, Natalie Myricks, is Neiron Ball's older sister. Ball is currently dealing with a serious medical situation after a brain aneurysm in September. He is currently in a skilled nursing facility; his family is working to get him into an intensive rehab facility.

Natalie told her little brother about the GoFundMe to support his care, which passed the $111,000 mark Wednesday afternoon.

"He started smiling, I said, 'you're not going to sit here in this bed. You're going to get up and we're going to be dancing,'" said Natalie Myricks. "He smiled. I've been telling him that the last couple months." 

The Myricks say they visit Neiron regularly, and offered an update on his condition.

"He's not in a coma," said Natalie. "He hasn't been in a coma several months. He cries. I tell him to blink two times for yes. He sticks out his tongue. He does more for my husband than me, but that's always been the case. He can track with his eyes, but he can't move his legs, arms or neck. He's developed bed sores because he has to be turned every two hours."

Doctors tell the family they don't know what recovery could look like, and they are holding onto the hope he can make significant progress.

"It's uncharted territory because he's 26," said Natalie. "He could wake up tomorrow. He could start moving tomorrow. I walked in one day and his arm started shaking. With therapy and stimulation, I know my brother will improve. We have to be given that opportunity."

The family says that donations are nice, and prayers are even better. They're also hoping to simply spread the word, and that the right person who can help get Neiron the neurological care he needs will somehow hear his story.

"The squeaky wheel gets, we hope, what we desire," said Dary. "The alternative is the alternative. Nobody can imagine what it is. I can't imagine ... I know he'd never give up on me or my wife. Us allowing him to be placed into a nursing facility until he passes is unacceptable."

Natalie says the support has been uplifting, after months of stress.

"All the emails I've got, hundreds of emails, have said the same thing: how great a person he is," said Natalie. "How selfless he is. How nice he was to strangers. He helped my kid do this. It's been overwhelming. I know he's a great kid, and it's awesome to hear other people talk about Neiron in the light, and not in a negative way."

Natalie added: "He's a 26-year-old young man. He has a lot of life to live. He just got started. We want him to have a full life, walk around, laugh, enjoy. I'm here to fight for my baby brother. I've been fighting for him since our parents died when he was 6, helped the grandmother. I know she'd want me to stand in the gap for him. My role is to stand in the gap for Neiron Ball. Protect him, make sure he has everything he needs."

If you want to donate to support Neiron Ball's recovery, here is a link to the GoFundMe: Fundraiser for Neiron Ball