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November 23, 2016
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November 27, 2016
South Terrebonne student Louis Blanchard died this morning, just weeks after suffering a severe neck injury.
Multiple school employees confirmed the news to The Times this afternoon, confirming what had been circulating on social media throughout the day.
It is not yet known Blanchard’s cause of death, but he has been under extensive medical care for the past several weeks after falling off a trampoline in late-October.
The injury compressed his neck and required the young man to undergo multiple surgeries in the past few weeks.
He remained hospitalized at the time of his passing.
Blanchard was one of the most beloved members of the South Terrebonne football team – a two-time District Defensive MVP.
Blanchard was enjoying another dominant season before the injury, which sidelined him for the final game of the season.
“He’s a wonderful player and a great kid,” Gators coach Richard Curlin said during the season. “We love him here. He’s someone we will always appreciate.”
Check HoumaTimes.com later for further updates and see our print issue Wednesday for a story honoring the young man’s life.
No. 2 Gators deal with 2 tragedies in 1 year
The South Terrebonne community suffered a couple great losses during the 2016 calendar year.
Over the summer, the Gators’ world was shook when Andraye Verdin was killed as a passenger in a one-car wreck on the Bourg-Larose Highway — an accident caused by slick roads after a rainstorm.
Verdin, 16, was a standout football player for the Gators – a guy that coach Richard Curlin said was about to be a “breakout star”.
“He was just getting comfortable,” Curlin said. “This is such a shame and is so unfair.”
Unfortunately, the tragedies didn’t stop there for South Terrebonne.
At the end of a tough football season, Gators standout lineman Louis Blanchard was severely injured after falling off a trampoline after school.
In the fall, Blanchard condensed his neck, which temporarily left him paralyzed, and which required multiple surgeries.
Doctors speculated Blanchard could possibly make a full recovery, but weeks later, things took a turn for the worst and he passed away at a New Orleans hospital.
He was 18.
Just weeks before the injury, Blanchard had given a verbal commitment to continue his football career at UL-Monroe.
After his death, locals rallied together to show their respects to the dominant lineman, who ended up winning his third-straight District Defensive MVP Award in 2016.
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