A 14-year-old Red Deerian and his family need community support after the teen was struck by a car.
Sister Lynsi Hamelin explained her brother was hit by a car Aug. 19 on Ellenwood Drive.
The impact left the teen unconscious, and he was taken to Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre. He was put into a medically induced coma before being airlifted to Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary.
RCMP have said an eastbound SUV collided with a pedestrian and police were called at around 5:22 p.m. The incident did not occur within a crosswalk.
The teen is working on communicating verbally again. He is unable to walk or stand without a team of physio experts or help from family members.
He is currently in a wheelchair, said Hamelin Tuesday.
The doctors have found pockets of blood in his brain as well as bleeding where his skull meets his spine.
Hamelin said the incident has been especially hard on their mom, Michelle, who watched the collision happen, as her son was walking down the road for a barbecue.
“The doctors are saying it’s a miracle he survived,” explained Lynsi, adding there is a daycare close to where the collision happened, and if it had been someone smaller and younger who was struck, they wouldn’t have made it.
The sister has started a fundraiser on GoFundMe for her mom and stepdad, who can use the financial assistance and community support.
“The last thing my mom needs right now is to be worrying about whether or not she is going to have rent paid, and a place to bring my brother home to when he is ready to come home.”
“We’re a paycheque to paycheque family, so we have nothing to fall back on,” said Michelle.
Lynsi and the family are not sure about the long recovery that is ahead for the young boy, or when he can come back home from hospital.
The sister said Red Deer family members are by his side, but it’s been rough.
“We’re struggling in all the ways. It’s a lot to deal with. We are strong one day and not so strong the next,” she said.
“We are not even sure when my mom would be able to go back to work. She’s going to be retraining him – teaching him to be a functional human again.”
The family is also advocating for a lower speed limit in the area where the incident took place.
As of Tuesday afternoon, about $1,195 has been raised for the teen.
Those who are looking to donate can find the Help my family recover from a horrible accident fundraiser on GoFundMe.
