Rise Up, Xave: A Family’s Three-Month Prayer for Their Son

Three months ago, a routine baseball game changed 12-year-old Xavier Taylor’s life forever.
An errant throw struck him in the neck, and the young athlete suddenly collapsed on the field.
His heart stopped, leaving his family facing a nightmare no parent could ever imagine.
Since then, Xavier has remained in a coma, while his loved ones have refused to give up hope.
For three long months, his family has waited for the moment they can hear their son’s voice again.
Three months of hospital rooms, difficult days, uncertainty, and countless prayers.
Yet every morning, they continue to believe that another day could bring a breakthrough.
Across the country, strangers have joined them in that hope.
Bridges have been illuminated in blue.
Baseball teams have worn Xavier’s No. 6 in his honor.
His jersey has remained in the dugout as a reminder that his teammates have not forgotten him.
Baseball bats have appeared on porches as communities found their own ways to show support.
People who have never met Xavier have learned his name and begun praying for a child they know only through his story.
Now, his family is asking those supporters to come together once again for “Rise Up and Xave.”
At the same time, communities are being invited to pause and pray for Xavier’s healing and strength.
They are also praying for his parents, who have endured months of unimaginable uncertainty.
Their faith has remained one of the strongest parts of Xavier’s story.
They are not asking people to forget how difficult the journey has been.
They are asking everyone to believe that his story is not finished.
So tonight, wherever you are, remember Xavier Taylor and the family still standing beside him, one day at a time.