SILVER LAKE — A six-year-old boy is fighting for his life after being struck by an object while playing outside at school with his first-grade classmates.
Alex Hook, was playing outside at Riverview Elementary School Friday morning when teachers saw him fall to the ground.
"Imagine how shocking this is that at recess where kids are supposed to be having a wonderful time this awful tragedy occurred," Hook's aunt Michelle Koertgen said.
Hook was flown by helicopter to Children's Wisconsin Milwaukee Hospital where he underwent emergency brain surgery.
Hook is in a medically induced coma fighting for his life and the doctors will determine whether they will reverse the coma or not on Tuesday.
Koertgen describes her nephew as a vivacious boy who is extremely loving, enjoys the outdoors and loves going swimming.
Koertgen said the family was told a piece of rebar which is a steel bar used to reinforce concrete flew from a lawnmower striking Hook.
"A piece of his skull actually internally broke off and lodged into his left side of his brain," she said.
As of now, Koertgen said the family is praying for the best, but were told Hook will sustain life changing impacts from the incident.
"It's highly likely according to the neurosurgeon that he will have sustained brain damage," she said. "What my family needs is prayers, keep the prayers coming."
Koertgen said her sister Caryn currently works on a contract basis and only gets paid when she works. However, due to the nature of the incident Caryn will not be working to take care of Alex and her 10-year-old son who has special needs.
Koertgen told us that is why she set up a GoFundMe page to help ease the family's financial burden. She said she is blown away by the kindness of those people donating from near and far.
To donate to the Hook family, click here.
We reached out to the Kenosha County Sheriff's Department for an update on the investigation, we still haven't heard back.
Koertgen said the family has attained an attorney, but did not want to talk about the legal situation.
On Tuesday, Alex's father said in a video posted to Facebook that Alex is still in critical condition but is stable. The MRI came back "good," his father said.
