Update: Watermark Church’s Rick Howard says the Silvas have okayed the white ribbon project, expressing gratitude for the community’s support. They do ask, Howard says, that the ribbons be removed on June 18 in honor of the Class of 2018.

As Lake Highlands continues to monitor the condition of rising LHHS senior Austin Silva, who suffered cardiac arrest during his routine wisdom tooth extraction last Tuesday and remains unresponsive in ICU at Children’s Medical Center, some have joined to show support for family with white ribbons around trees in their front yards. The ribbons, explains organizer Millye Hale, are a symbol of prayer and a demonstration of love for parents David and Suzanne and siblings Samantha (16) and Charlie (13).

“I thought it would be great if each family that is praying identified ourselves with a white ribbon tied on a tree in front of our houses,” wrote Hale on her Facebook page. “We don’t know how God will answer our prayers, but He will answer and we rest in knowing that He is good and faithful.”

Austin is a member of the Wildcat tennis team and the Wrangler country-and-western dance team. His many concerned friends have been moved to hospital’s Butterfly Atrium due to lack of space for their large numbers in the ICU waiting area.