Angela Reid was in the stands when her son elevated for a dunk.
A second later, she watched him falling toward the hardwoods.
Then she heard what she characterized as the “thud” that silenced the hundreds who converged on the Charles B. Aycock gymnasium for the Golden Falcons’ varsity men’s matchup with rival Goldsboro High School.
“I knew he hit his head, so I went running out trying to see what was going on,” Angela said. “Once he hit the ground, he wasn’t moving.”
At that point, those surrounding Trever Reid didn’t know the severity of his injury.
Fans were crying. His teammates, and their opponents, pulled their jerseys over their faces.
Angela was growing increasingly concerned —particularly when she noticed blood coming from her son’s ear.
“He wasn’t responding to anything,” she said. “Then, next thing I know, he was shaking and everybody was trying to calm him down but they couldn’t.”
Within the hour, Trever was at Wayne Memorial Hospital.
His teammates weren’t far behind him.
“It just made my heart fill with joy and love,” Angela said. “I know they’re young and they could’ve gone home and done something else, but they chose to be out there with Trever. That’s a brotherhood.”
And as the community began learning about the incident, it responded with an outpouring of love and prayers across social media.
What they didn’t know was that Trever was fighting — to the point where his persistent attempts to remove his neck brace forced doctors to sedate him.
And when he finally woke up, he was at a new hospital, Vidant Medical Center, where doctors performed a battery of tests to ensure the young man was OK.
The physical therapist gave him a series of commands and asked him questions to test his mental capacity.
“He asked him what his name was and what school he went to — asked him what sport he played and what was his mama’s name,” Angela said. “He was coherent with all of that.”
And less than an hour ago, after what appeared to be a severe injury, the young man was discharged with a concussion diagnosis.
No internal damage. No broken bones.
He might even be back on the basketball court again this season.
His mother hopes so.
“Trever loves basketball,” she said, choking up. “This isn’t just something he does during basketball season. He does this year-round.”
And judging by the outpouring of texts and phone calls Angela has received since last night, the young man must have touched the lives of the countless coaches and teammates he has shared the court with.
“This was just an outpouring of love,” Trever’s mother said. “It really was amazing.”
And so was the fact that the young man avoided a more serious outcome.
But Angela has an explanation for that, too.
“I’m thankful to God,” she said. “So thankful to God.”
