Belgreen High School football player Carter Raney remains in critical condition at Huntsville Hospital after a Wednesday evening car crash on his way home from practice, his mother said Saturday.

Ashleigh Raney said in a Facebook post that her son sustained a diffuse axonal injury, a type of traumatic brain injury caused by significant movement of the brain inside the skull. He remains in the surgical intensive care unit, where he is medically paralyzed with his ventilator settings maximized to allow his body to rest and heal.

She said he had a “neuro storm” overnight, causing his blood pressure and heart rate to rise significantly. Doctors have said his brain is the primary concern, with his lungs a close second. Bruising in his lungs has worsened and is affecting his breathing. A neurosurgeon is also placing a probe in his brain to monitor pressure.

Raney was airlifted from the scene, but the helicopter was diverted to North Alabama Medical Center so he could be stabilized before continuing to a trauma center. Earlier updates from his family listed brain swelling, fractured ribs and vertebrae, and a liver laceration among his injuries.

The family asked for continued prayers, specifically for his lungs to heal and his breathing to improve.

The Belgreen community has rallied around him. The school canceled Friday night’s game and replaced it with a community-wide prayer vigil at 6 p.m. at Sparks Field. A chicken plate fundraiser at the school sold out in less than an hour, with all proceeds going to the Raney family.

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