A teenage boy’s World Cup dream came true after a horror fall at school left him needing major head surgery. Cole Dunlop was trying to push a door open when he fainted then cracked his head open on March 4.
The 15-year-old from Glasgow suffered a fractured skull and was rushed to the city’s Royal Hospital for Children where he underwent a five-hour surgery to get a bleed on the brain under control. He stayed in hospital for five days and was kept off school for a further three weeks.
But during those worrying few months for Cole, mum Julie, and 11-year-old sister Milly there was also the trip of a lifetime on the horizon. The trio had booked to fly to Boston to see the Scotland national team play in their first World Cup for 28 years – but didn’t know whether Cole would be able to go.
View 5 ImagesCole fainted, fell and cracked his head open after a health appointment at school in March(Image: NHS)
Thankfully on June 6, days before the tournament began, Cole got the all clear to fly to America. The youngster even managed to bag tickets for Scotland’s opening match against Haiti on June 14 which Steve Clarke’s side won 1-0.
And while in the States he even grabbed a photo with Tartan Army superhero Craig Ferguson, who raised £1million for mental health awareness after walking over 3,000 miles across the US. Cole said: “Boston was amazing and I was surprised with tickets to the Scotland vs Haiti game which I couldn’t believe.
“I’ve never been more proud to be Scottish. It was one of the best football matches I’ve ever been to. The team done so well.”
View 5 ImagesCole and Craig Ferguson(Image: NHS)
Describing the incident which left him in hospital, he added: “I remember waking up, and I was lying on the ground surrounded by nurses. I had been trying to push open a door in the school corridor.”
Mum Julie also said: “It would have been a very different situation if Cole’s recovery hadn’t been as smooth. We had mentioned to hospital staff that Cole was due to fly to Boston but we didn’t know if he’d be allowed to fly or not.
“We made it with a few days to spare. It was such a relief that it timed out the way it did.”
View 5 ImagesCole Dunlop and mum Julie Callaghan decked out in Scotland clobber in Boston(Image: NHS)
Julie also heaped praise on the hospital staff who helped throughout Cole’s ordeal. She added: “The trauma team was great even after we were home.
“They couldn’t have been better. I didn’t even know they were a team in the hospital but they take care of when you’re in a situation you didn’t expect to be in.”
View 5 ImagesCole and former Hearts skipper – who has recently moved to Rangers – Lawrence Shankland before the World Cup(Image: NHS)
Cole has since returned to school and playing football again, which he had been missing, although he still has to be careful. The teen was initially inspired to head Stateside for the World Cup after being taken to watch the Scotland team train at the end of May.
The Rangers-daft lad was especially delighted to meet Lawrence Shankland, who had just completed a move from Hearts to join his Ibrox heroes. Cole said: “I was so happy to meet Lawrence Shankland given he had just signed for Rangers.
“I was so happy. It was such a good day.”
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