Donations have been pouring in for an eight-year-old boy who was left paralyzed following the July 4 Highland Park shooting.
Cooper Roberts and his family were one of the many people who gathered to watch the town's Independence Day parade on Monday, with family spokesperson Anthony Loizzi telling CNN that the eight-year-old and his twin brother loved the annual festivities.
However, shortly after 10:00AM, a gunman opened fire on the crowd - shooting people at random with a semi-automatic rifle.
Seven people were killed in the attack. Cooper was one of the dozens to be injured, the eight-year-old suffering several serious injuries after being shot in the chest.
Loizzi revealed that the tragic incident left Cooper with a severed spinal cord and the youngster is now paralyzed from the waist down.
Cooper's twin brother, Luke, was also injured by shrapnel and is now recovering at home. The boys' mom, Keely Roberts, was "was shot in the leg and foot area" and also needed several surgeries.
Cooper has undergone several surgeries in order to treat his injuries and spent much of the week sedated and on a ventilator. On Friday, he was removed from the ventilator and was conscious for the first time since Monday's shooting.
When he woke up, despite being in a great deal of pain, he asked to see Luke and the family's dog.
Sadly, due to the sheer amount of pain he is in, Cooper was sedated again shortly after.
Loizzi said on Thursday that there have been positive developments in Cooper's recovery, but has admitted that "he'll have significant issues moving forward, especially with walking".
A GoFundMe has been created by family friends Georgette Topalis and Annie Loizzi, with the hopes of raising enough money to help cover Cooper's medical bills and ongoing treatment.
"This fundraiser has been created by the friends of the Roberts family," the description reads. "Keely Roberts and her 8-year-old son, Cooper, were greatly impacted by the tragic events of this past Monday. Both were shot while attending the 4th of July parade in Highland Park.
"Keely was seriously injured, and has endured several surgeries. She will undergo more surgery and possible long term medical issues, but will mostly recover. Cooper was shot and his spinal cord was severed. After undergoing many surgeries, he has been upgraded to serious condition.
"However, the doctors have determined that he will be paralyzed from the waist down. Cooper continues to fight as hard as he can. We know their medical bills will be significant as will the treatments and therapy that will follow. Please continue to keep the Roberts family in your thoughts and prayers. Any help you can provide is deeply appreciated."
Cooper's heartbreaking story clearly resonated with many people, and, as of this writing, more than $1.1 million has been raised for the young boy from over 18,000 donations.
If you would like to donate to Cooper's GoFundMe, click HERE.
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