OAKLAND — The family of an 8-year-old boy who was gravely wounded in a July freeway shooting in Oakland say the child — “a fighter,” in their words — is paralyzed from the neck down and will require intensive medical services as his life goes forward, according to an online fundraising page.
The GoFundMe page describes the child only by his first name, Asa, calling him a “soccer enthusiast, math wizard, and devoted brother and friend.” It is signed by “Asa’s Family.”
In the account narrative, the family says that the boy’s spinal column in his neck was pierced by bullet and bone fragments.
“Initially,” they write, “we had no idea if our sweet boy would live. But he is a fighter, and we have gotten and are getting the best possible medical care.
“Two weeks later, Asa is not only alive, but he’s making us laugh, reading his favorite books and requesting songs by (rock group) Imagine Dragons. His intellect, his spirit, and his love of life are very much intact.”
Asa’s parents listed their immediate expenses as they adjust to the child’s new life, including renovating their home and getting a new vehicle to accomodate Asa’s wheelchair use, as well as devices and equipment both to tend to the boy’s medical needs and to help him live life as a child — with toys, video games and the like.
“His body is forever changed,” his family wrote. “At this point, he is experiencing complete paralysis below the neck. We are profoundly relieved that our boy is alive and very much himself, and we are also starting to understand the vast implications of his new reality.
“Moving forward, Asa will require a mechanical respirator to live, tube feeds for nutrition, and 24-hour, around-the-clock nursing care. We’re fiercely committed to doing everything we can to help Asa thrive which includes supporting his return to home life, school, and being the energetic, creative, and high-spirited 8-year-old he is.”
The boy remains hospitalized and the family said in the next few months alone there will be over $250,000 in expenses to enable a smooth homecoming for him.
According to the narrative, even with key systems and accessibility modifications that the family is researching, he will need ongoing support, including 24-hour nursing care, continuous physical and occupational therapy, mental health support, travel to medical centers that deal with severe spinal cord injury, and more Estimates indicate that Asa’s ongoing care could exceed $1,000,000 in the first year alone.
The family writes: “Never in a million years could we have predicted how Asa’s life — and all of our lives — would change so quickly, and completely. We are grieving, grateful and angry. We hope you never know pain like this. At the same time, we hope that you may know (as we now do) the exquisite gift of children’s resilience.”
The online fundraiser had netted more than $400,000 in pledges toward its goal of $500,000 by 2:15 p.m. Friday. Anyone wishing to donate can access the account at https://gofund.me/a867ccbd.
The family expressed its heartfelt thanks to those who have contributed not only financially but in other ways as well. “Your support has buoyed our spirits and given us all strength in a moment of profound tragedy and transformation,” the narrative says.
Asa was shot about 6:20 p.m. July 14 after gunfire erupted between two cars on eastbound Interstate 580 near Harrison Street. No one else in the car he was in was injured.
The California Highway Patrol is investigating the shooting but as of Friday had not announced any arrests or released any suspect descriptions. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the CHP at 707-917-4491.
Source: www.mercurynews.com