Ethan Glynn & Parker Durkin Bios
Ethan Glynn
17 years old
Junior attending Jefferson High School in Bloomington, Minnesota
At 15 years old Ethan was injured playing in his first high school football game on his 9th grade freshman team. Ethan played running back and corner back, he was making a tackle on the 11th play of the game and went down injured. The resulting injury left Ethan paralyzed from the shoulders down. He has C4 complete spinal cord injury (SCI).
Ethan spent almost a month in PICU at HCMC going through three surgeries in the first 72 hours. He was initially supported by breathing and feeding tubes. Once he was stable he was transferred. Ethan spent the next three months at Craig Hospital in Denver, Colorado which specializes in spinal cord injuries.
Prior to injury Ethan was a three-sport athlete competing in hockey, football and baseball, always in his #8 jersey. Ethan was a very gifted athlete, being named captain of his hockey team, starter on his football team and short stop for the baseball team.
Accomplishments in sports include winning the 2021 National Home Run Derby in Branson, Missouri. Three peat baseball champion for the Bloomington Youth Baseball Association, scoring over 100 points at the Bantam level for Jefferson Hockey. The Jefferson Hockey team has made a run at State several times over the years.
Presently Ethan attends school full time. He’s heavily involved with both the football and hockey teams. He spends his free time with friends and watching his favorite college football team, Alabama Crimson Tide, #rolltide.
Parker Durkin
19 years old
Sophomore at Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota studying Communications
Parker, then a senior at Edina High School, was at the game when Ethan was injured. He was a calming presence for his parents during the first days of surgeries and chaos.
Parker was the captain of the Edina High School football team and played WR for them. Ethan was injured on a Friday and Parker, not wanting to let down his team and knowing he needed the support, was back at practice the following Tuesday and never missed a game or practice the entire season. Ethan watched his big brother during the football season online.
Parker changed his football jersey from #2 to #8 to honor and support Ethan that year.
Parker has a passion for video editing and media, specializing in hype videos through social media for athletes and the Saint John’s Football team.
This past June, the family (through a program at Denver Divers and Craig Hospital) went on a scuba trip to Cayman Brac where both Parker and Ethan became certified as open water divers. Parker also became certified as a buddy diver to assist Ethan underwater.
On Ethan’s two-year anniversary of his injury the family stood up the Just Be Gr8 Foundation which focuses on individuals and families experiencing medical crises and life changing events as well as funding for research, education and care for spinal cord injuries.
