Keep Fighting Donny!
It’s the eleventh minute of the game between Dinamo Auto and FC Zimbru, in the Moldovan Super Liga, the highest tier of Moldovan football. FC Zimbru have a freekick from the left side of the centre half. The ball is whipped in from right to left, Donny leaps towards the keeper to try to win the header and score. The keeper rushes out and punches the ball out of the penalty area, but Donny, who had his focus locked in on the ball, inadvertently grazes the keeper’s shoulder in mid air. He falls to the ground and appears to be unconscious. The players rush to Donny and call the doctors, who enter the pitch to provide medical aid. Donny is still on the ground motionless. The gravity of the situation is clearly visible from the faces of the players, who look very worried, with their hands on their heads. After being transported off the pitch, he is rushed to the nearest hospital. On the 6th of August, Donny falls into a coma.
Born on the 29th March 1995, Donny van Iperen is a Dutch football player who starts his career playing for AZ Alkmaar's youth team, to then enter SC Telstar's senior team in the Dutch second divison. He then goes on to play for Eredivisie Go Ahead Eagles, before moving for another short stint in Greece, and finally in the first tier of Moldovan football for FC Zimbru, where his terrible accident took place. 6 days after being hospitalised in Moldova, he was moved to the Netherlands for further treatment.
Donny has still not fully recovered from the coma, but after about a month after his accident he is slowly becoming more responsive. First a wink, then a pinch and then the answer “yes” to one of the questions from the nurses. Despite these improvements, Donny suffers from a consciousness disorder due to having damaged the Thalamus: a ‘relay station’ for all incoming motor and sensory information from your body to your brain.
Donny’s family is convinced that he will eventually be able to overcome this massive challenge and have the opportunity to live his life to the fullest of his capabilities. In order for that to happen though, Donny will have to go through a very complicated recovery and rehabilitation process. This process will be fairly expensive, and due to this tragedy happening in the middle of Donny’s football career, his family does not have enough funds to cover the expenses whilst living a normal life.
AZ Alkmaar have decided to raise funds to help Donny’s family. They are auctioning the worn and signed shirts from their game against Feyenoord. In order to raise further funds and play their part, Feyenoord has decided to donate to AZ Alkmaar their own worn and signed shirts, which are also present on the auction.
If you want to support Donny and the Irepen family, go to the “AZ Alkmaar & Feyenoord | for Donny van Iperen” auction page and get yourself a worn and signed piece of football history.