Marisa Rose Bowl: After 'true miracle,' North Brunswick family has special connection
In 2013, every mother’s nightmare became Shanette Pereira’s reality: Her oldest son Khalil, an 18-year-old college freshman, was involved in a major car accident.
“He went through the windshield and suffered a traumatic brain injury,” Shanette said. “He couldn’t walk, couldn’t talk. At first, we didn’t even know if he could hear or see.”
After six months of intensive rehabilitation at Children’s Specialized Hospital, Khalil walked out under his own power and returned home to North Brunswick to resume his life.
“To me, it was a true miracle,” Shanette said.
A decade later, that miracle has a notable epilogue: Khalil’s youngest brother, Katrell Pereira, was selected to play in the Bellamy and Sons Paving Marisa Rose Bowl, a charity high school football all-star game showcasing Middlesex County’s top graduating high school seniors. The game’s proceeds benefit The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, which will be donating a share to PSE&G Children’s Specialized Hospital of New Brunswick and the Lakeview School, a program of the New Jersey Institute for Disabilities.
Kickoff is Thursday, 7 p.m. at Woodbridge High School.
Katrell, a two-way lineman who helped North Brunswick’s football team post an 8-2 record last fall, won’t be playing because he suffered a torn ACL in late April. But his inclusion in the event – which included a visit to Children’s Specialized Hospital last week to encourage young patients – is a profound full-circle moment for the Pereira family.
“It means a lot,” Katrell said. “I remember going to visit him in the hospital. They really helped my bother – they saved his life.”
A fighter’s mentality
From the time of Khalil’s arrival at Children’s Specialized Hospital, Shanette Pereira knew he was in good hands because she’d worked there for eight years as a patient care technician.
“A doctor asked me, ‘What do you want (for Khalil)?” she recalled. “I said, ‘100 percent (recovery). I know I’m not going to get that, but I’ll take 99.9 percent.’ That’s what happened. It was very intensive therapy. They really worked with him, and I’m very grateful for that.”
Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, pool therapy – Khalil underwent the full battery of treatment.
“You look at him today and he’s 28 years old and walking, talking, can drive a car, and he works,” Shanette said.
Khalil holds a job at Planet Fitness in North Brunswick. His perseverance has inspired his younger brothers to address their own challenges. Tyrell Pereira is a college linebacker at FDU-Florham who led the team in tackles in 2022 after suffering a broken foot in 2021. Katrell is on his way to Keystone College (Pa.) in the fall and will play football there after his knee recovers; his rehab already has begun.
“Their brother showed no quit and that’s kind of the motto in that family,” North Brunswick football coach Mike Cipot said. “Things aren’t always going to go the way you want it scripted in life, but they fight through it and get back on track. You have to have a fighter’s mentality, and that family has it.”
Cipot credits Shanette Pereira for setting the tone.
“She kind of has that coach’s mentality – there’s a little love and a little toughness,” he said. “That’s how I am as a coach. You’ve got to show both sides.”
‘I know I can overcome this’
After taking leave while Khalil recovered, Shanette returned to Children’s Specialized Hospital as a member of its “family faculty” – parents of former patients who provide counsel and support to families of current patients. So last week’s meet-up between Marisa Rose Bowl participants and kids at the hospital was right up her alley.
“Shanette is truly a force and we’re so grateful to have her on the Family Faculty team at CSH,” said Donna Provenzano, Director of Family Centered Care at Children’s Specialized Hospital. “Her care of Khalil after his accident was essential to his recovery. She continued to implement everything she learned from his therapists and care team after his discharge which ensured he could reach his full potential.”
Of course, having Khalil and Katrell join her to speak about their family’s journey was icing on the cake.
Katrell’s message, one that he takes to heart during his ACL rehab: You can do it.
“I know I can overcome this,” he said. “Khalil is a big inspiration because he never gave up. Look at him now.”
Jerry Carino has covered the New Jersey sports scene since 1996. Contact him at jcarino@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Marisa Rose Bowl: After 'true miracle,' family has special connection
