SACO — A 10-year-old Saco boy who recently sustained a traumatic brain injury on a backyard zipline remains in the hospital.

Matthew Cox, a fourth-grade student at C.K. Burns School in Saco, is being treated at the Children’s Hospital in Boston after being struck by a pine tree. Cox was riding on a homemade zipline Dec. 26 in Easton, Mass., when it became apparent one of the trees to which it was attached was collapsing, according to Associated Press reports. He jumped off the zipline and tried to escape the area, but was struck by the falling pine tree.

Matthew and his family recently moved to Saco from Hanover, Mass., and he is part of the Casco Bay Hockey Association Squirts team and also played on a basketball team.

A statement on the hockey team’s website has the headline: “One of our Squirt Skaters, Matt Cox, needs your thoughts and prayers.”

Two websites, www.caringbridge.org/visit/matthewcox and www.messagesformatthew.weebly.com, have been created by his family to post updates on his condition and for friends and family to leave messages. Both websites are flooded with messages from friends and family in both Massachusetts and Maine.

According to recent posts, Matthew’s condition is stable, but critical.

A narrative on the Messages for Matthew site describes him as a good student and athlete, and thoughtful and kind.

“Matthew Cox has not yet shown the world all that he can be, and he is so deserving of that opportunity,” states the website.

The family asks people to pray for Matthew and to tie a blue ribbon in their yard, as blue represents “healing, anointing and the Holy Spirit.

“If we pray together, our voices have to be heard and maybe, just maybe, we can help make that miracle a reality,” the statement reads.

A post on the Caring Bridge website over the weekend from friends said Matthew’s basketball team played its first game that night, and team members all wore blue socks and a blue stripe on their jersey in his honor.

“Keep fighting Matt! Your teammates are behind you 110 percent,” the post reads.

The family is also encouraging people to post video messages on the Messages for Matthew site, and prayer requests can be posted at www.frkapaun.org/prayerrequests.html.

— The Associated Press contributed to this story. Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or [email protected].