Cubs' Rizzo reaches out to South Elgin boy attacked by classmate
Ardent Chicago Cubs fan Henry Sembdner, a seventh-grader from South Elgin who was attacked Friday by a classmate, has been getting some love from first baseman Anthony Rizzo.
Rizzo took to Twitter promising Sembdner game tickets once he's back on his feet.
“Heard you are a big @Cubs fan Henry. When you are better I have a couple tickets and BP passes waiting for you at Wrigley. #StayStrong” he tweeted.
The 12-year-old was released Tuesday evening from Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge after being assaulted at Kenyon Woods Middle School. He spent much of the weekend in an induced coma recovering from brain and skull injuries suffered when he was severely beaten.
Rizzo has been retweeting pictures of members of the school community wearing Cubs gear to show support for Henry with the hashtags #HenryStrong and #StayStrong.
Elgin Area School District U-46 CEO Tony Sanders also tweeted a photo of himself wearing a Cubs striped shirt for Henry. Sanders said on Monday that Henry was receiving tremendous community support, as was the student who attacked him through counseling.
The boy's mother, Karen DeWilde Sembdner took to social media about 8 p.m. Tuesday and posted a picture of the 12-year-old and his family with the caption, “You heard it here first ... Henry is Home!” The photo showed the Sembdner family dressed in Cubs gear and holding a sign that read “#Henrystrong Look who's home.”
Meanwhile, authorities still are determining whether charges will be filed against the student accused of attacking Henry. That student initially was detained but has since been released.