Doctors say Brenham High School football player Justin Davis is still in serious at St. Joseph Hospital more than a week after he suffered a stroke after football practice.

Doctors say stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, but it is extremely rare in children under 18 years old.

A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that is leading to the brain either becomes clogged or bursts. That compromises blood flow to the brain.

“I can speak to the fact that it is exceedingly, exceedingly rare. Most strokes in children actually occur in the first year of life,” said Kim Oas, a Nurse Practitioner with the Texas Brain and Spine Institute at St. Joseph Hospital

Oas works with stroke patients on a daily basis. She says there's an 11 in 100,000 chance that someone under 18 would suffer a stroke.

Oas says children are not little adults when it comes to strokes, because the causes and warning signs are different for children. She adds that most parents have nothing to worry about.

“It’s not something you need to run and have checked out right now. And again that ongoing relationship that we all should have with our children's pediatrician is going to be the key to knowing your child, knowing if there are pre-existing risk factors,” said Oas.

Doctors can't say what the rehab process will be like for Justin Davis, but friends say they'll be there for him every step of the way.