CHESAPEAKE, Va. — As one of their teammates continues to navigate a tragic loss, the Deep Creek High School football team rallied to provide support to him on a special day.
Keenan Harvey is a student at Deep Creek, where he plays football.
He recently celebrated his 17th birthday on July 11.
However, his past couple of birthdays have been bittersweet without his mother, who passed away two Mother’s Days ago.
“It hurt me a lot that day. I felt so angry and sad,” said Keenan. “It made my grades drop, I stopped talking to my friends and family.”
On his birthday this year, his teammates organized a surprise to fill his special day with joy.
As a group, they went to Keenan’s home in Chesapeake with a birthday cake, a card, and gifts.
Keenan says the surprise made him feel valued and reminded him that his teammates care about him, on and off the field.
“It made me feel happy and loved. I didn’t think [many] people cared about my life, but they made sure that I knew I was loved and appreciated,” said Keenan.
He says he’s grateful for the tight-knit bond he has with his teammates, who are there to lend their support through tough times.
“[The] Deep Creek football team brotherhood means a lot to me. It means no matter how hard things get, I know I have a whole group of people that care about one another and that if one of our brothers is in need, we will help them as best as we can,” said Keenan.
This year, Keenan will start his senior year at Deep Creek. He’s looking forward to his final season as a Hornet with his teammates, or as he calls them, his brothers.
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