Community rallies around injured Norris football player
Branson Cox, 14, holds his sister, Brynlee, as family members and car club representatives gather Saturday, Oct. 31, at Ray Varner Ford in Clinton to plan a benefit vehicle show to help cover medical expenses following Branson’s golf cart accident last summer. Standing, from left, are Jim Maddox, president of the Smoky Mountain Mustang Club; Branson’s mother, Lindsey Cox; grandfather, Ray Varner; father, Shane Cox; Sherrill Cook of Fast N’ Classy Car Club; and club President Jimmy Stiltner. The benefit will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7, at Ray Varner Ford, 2026 N. Charles G. Seivers Blvd. Vehicle registration is $20, and spectator admission is free. (photo:Alan Sloan )
Now, 14-year-old Branson Cox has shifted his immediate goals from football to regaining function in his legs.
Branson has come a long way in just a few months, returning to his studies as an eighth-grade student at Norris Middle School, where he has been a proud and valuable member of the Senators football team.
He currently receives rehabilitation therapy twice a week at Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center at Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center in Knoxville.
Branson and his family are thankful for their Christian faith and the support they have received from the community as they adjust to the sudden changes in their lives.
“We know that God has a plan for Branson and we trust His plan — even on the hardest days,” his mother, Lindsey Cox, said. “We know that He is going to use Branson for big things and He is the ultimate healer.
“We could not make it without turning to Him,” she added.
“I just know that if I needed anything, I could go out into this community and I could definitely get it because I just know that everyone out here are just so supportive about it and they’re all very helpful,” Branson said.
“And like when I came home for the first time after my injury, my football team and my school and even Anderson County (High School students and staff), they were all so just welcoming and very supportive.
“It definitely encouraged me,” he added.
“We’re definitely thankful for our village,” his mother said. “We’ve had friends and people from all over who helped us with our house, they’ve helped us with our daughter, with anything we need. They have been there for us. We are super thankful for our community.”
Branson has faced significant challenges since the accident.
“He’s had to grow up quite a bit within the past four months,” Lindsey said.
Benefit
for Branson
Branson’s grandfather, Ray Varner, owner of Ray Varner Ford in Clinton, has organized a benefit vehicle show at the dealership, 2026 N. Charles G. Seivers Blvd., from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 7.
The show will feature cars, boats, tractors, trucks, semis, motorcycles and other vehicles.
The entry fee is $20 per vehicle, with registration beginning at 8:30 a.m. Admission is free for spectators.
The public is invited to enjoy the show and meet Branson and his family, including his parents, Lindsey and Shane Cox, and younger sister, Brynlee.
Varner said the benefit is needed because of the medical bills the family has accumulated.
“But he’s alive and he’s doing well; he’s got a good attitude and he’s working hard at it recovering,” Varner said. “So with prayer and hope, we’re hoping we’ll get some movement in his legs one day.”
Varner said the show is expected to feature a wide variety of vehicles.
“We’ve got some antique tractors coming. I think there’s a couple of tractor trailers coming or semis that’s been redone,” he said. “I know a guy’s bringing some four-wheelers. I know there’s gonna be some Bigfoot-kind of trucks. There may even be a couple of dirt track cars. There’s no restrictions. Boats, motorcycles, you know, anything. Anybody who wants to come.”
As of late last week, Varner estimated at least 100 people had expressed interest in entering vehicles.
The event also will feature live entertainment.
“We’ll have music by Liquid Velvet, from noon to 2 p.m.,” Varner said. “Liquid Velvet plays rock, soft rock, country. Steve Rutledge is the guy behind Liquid Velvet. He’s a very talented musician.”
Food also will be available.
“Ingles has donated some pork, and we’ve got some boys cooking it,” Varner said. “It’s shaping up to be a big show.”
A long road
to recovery
Branson’s recovery began at Shepherd Center in Atlanta, where he spent eight weeks receiving inpatient treatment followed by three weeks in an outpatient program.
“We could never thank Shepherd Center in Atlanta enough. They were amazing,” Lindsey said. “Branson spent eight weeks in inpatient at Shepherd Center, and then he spent three weeks in their outpatient program. They were absolutely wonderful.”
Branson has since begun seeing doctors who will oversee his continued recovery.
“He just now is starting to see his doctors that he will be seeing throughout his recovery journey,” Lindsey said. “He really likes Patricia Neal. They push him to get stronger. But we are thankful for everybody who has helped him along the way.”
The family understands that recovery from a spinal cord injury can be a lengthy process.
“We did learn when we were at Shepherd’s, they say about spinal cord injuries, the recovery is more like a marathon, not a sprint,” Lindsey said. “So we have definitely taken that. We now know that it’s just a slow process and a long marathon.”
Reflecting on the challenges her family has faced over the past four months, Lindsey said the experience has changed their perspective.
“It’s something you never really think about until it happens to you or your kid or a parent, you know, any family member or friend,” she said.