Cooper Doucette

In August of 2010, a fifteen-year-old young man, Cooper Doucette, was paralyzed during the first week of preseason football drills for Nashua North High School. He immediately went to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta to be diagnosed. He was there for a few months and returned home prior to the Thanksgiving game between Nashua North and Nashua South. My daughter Mad Dog and I had read he would be at the game and sought out him and his dad, Bill. We met and went to their house just a couple of miles from ours on the following Saturday and plans were set to do that year’s Plunge for Coop.

The following February of 2011 Cooper was the benefactor and would be again in a few years later. Cooper is like a third son to me. He lost his mom when he was very young and so his dad, Bill, has been totally devoted to Cooper and done a great job. But, he can’t always be there so Coop and I have traveled all around to doctor appointments, workouts at Project Walk, driving lessons, and various parks where we exercise together.

He’s a very bright guy that I love spending time with. Although he suffered his injury beginning his sophomore year, he still graduated high school on time and moved onto UNH where he graduated in four years with a Major in Communications and a Minor in Business. He is presently awaiting to resume driving lessons so that he can drive on his own later this year.

-Ray Keefe