According to St. Cloud Times, Aaron Dorboryan, a junior on the St. Cloud Tech High School varsity soccer team, suffered a stroke on the morning of Sept. 9 that led to significant medical complications and landed him in the intensive care unit at Children's Minnesota Hospital. He is expected to require an extended period of recovery; he was unconscious when the team visited him the previous week.
Dorboryan made his varsity debut this year, according to sctimes.com. He had spent his previous two seasons working his way up through Tech's ninth-grade and JV1 programs before making the jump to varsity this fall. Outside of the high school season, he also competes for the Central Minnesota Youth Soccer Association in club play.
News of the hospitalization was also confirmed by sports.yahoo.com, which reported that Dorboryan remained unconscious while under critical care and is facing a long road back to health. As reported by KNSI, family members and supporters are now raising money to help the family through what comes next.
Community Turns to Fundraising for Medical and Travel Costs
As reported by St. Cloud Times, a GoFundMe organized by Anthony Kaba on behalf of Aaron Dorboryan has already collected just under $5,000 in three days, with organizers hoping to reach a $45,000 goal. The fundraiser seeks donations to help with Aaron's medical costs and support his family with travel, lodging and lost income while they remain by his side at the hospital.
Organizers describe Dorboryan as a versatile athlete and a calm, steady leader on the field, according to KNSI's report on the fundraiser. The GoFundMe page itself asks supporters to consider donating, sharing the fundraiser, and keeping Aaron and his family in their thoughts and prayers.
Teammates Carry On Without Him
Since Dorboryan's stroke, Tech's soccer team has not lost a game, going unbeaten across the five contests he has missed and outscoring opponents 22-8 during that stretch, as noted by St. Cloud Times and the report from sctimes.com. The team's steady play has continued amid support from coaches and teammates.
No hospital officials or medical professionals have issued a public statement on Dorboryan's diagnosis or prognosis, and his current status beyond the reports of him remaining unconscious in critical care has not been independently confirmed. For now, the St. Cloud community is left to wait, hope, and contribute what it can toward Aaron's recovery and his family's expenses during an uncertain stretch.
