Back in June we covered the heartbreaking story of a young Billings teen who choked on a NERF dart in a bizarre accident. Cole Reeves had returned home from a dentist appointment and was chewing on the foam dart to help alleviate discomfort, when the object became lodged in his throat. An older sibling began CPR, attempting to revive his brother while waiting for EMS to arrive. They estimate his brain was oxygen deprived for about 25 minutes.

Photo: Nerf.com
Photo: Nerf.com
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Join the Courage for Cole Fundraiser 8/16 at Hooligan's.

Cole's family has organized a fundraiser at Hooligan's Sports Bar tonight (Monday, 8/16) from 5 pm to 2 am. There will be a live auction at 7 pm, 50/50 drawing at 9 pm and the silent auction closes at 10 pm. Prizes include restaurant gift cards, chiropractic packages, a $500 voucher for a tattoo, and much more. Hooligan's will donate twenty percent of all sales and the offer can be used on to-go orders or dine-in.

Medical cost concept with calculator and stethoscope
Credit: everydayplus
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Cole's medical bills are still piling up.

If you can't attend the fundraiser at Hooligan's, you can help in other ways. The GoFundMe for Cole is still active, or you can drop off a check at any Billings area Western Security Bank. Make the check payable to Courage for Cole. I spoke with the teenager's aunt today and she said that Cole has made some progress.

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Tiny victories in his recovery.

After being hospitalized since June, he was able to come home for about a week and a half. He's now back at Billings Clinic, dealing with an issue with his feeding tube and trach tube. He'll be transferred to Salt Lake in the near future for a procedure to help with vomiting and Cole faces numerous additional surgeries and therapies. He's currently "medically nonresponsive", blind, and can't talk. His aunt said he can open his eyes and he appears to be able to track his eyes to the sound of his mom's voice. This young man's recovery will not be easy and his family expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of support from the Billings community.

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