7-year-old boy, Bengals fan partially paralyzed after car crash
By Sean MacKinnon
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Ohio (WLWT) — A Delhi Township boy has been in the intensive care unit for weeks after surviving a car crash, but his life will never be the same.
Seven-year-old Michael Askins and his mom were both in the crash on Columbia Parkway, Aug. 6.
“We’ve got a 7-year-old with head trauma, he’s unresponsive. CPR is going,” police said over radio traffic.
Jonni Evans was driving with her son, Michael, in the backseat.
“I couldn’t turn around. I couldn’t turn around. I remember screaming for help and screaming for someone to get Michael out the car,” Evans said.
Rushed to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, his family says doctors told them Michael had a one percent chance to survive the night.
Thirty-nine nights later, he’s still at Children’s, showing neurological improvement.
He’s reading and can do math problems. He knows his name, age and can nod to answer questions.
“So grateful that Michael’s still here because I can’t see myself without my baby. I don’t think anybody can live without him. He’s the glue to everybody,” Evans said.
But Michael’s life is changed forever. Evans says he’s paralyzed from the waist down and may never walk again.
Michael was about to start second grade, a star football player on Oak Hills Little Highlanders. He’s a massive UC Bearcats and Cincinnati Bengals fan with big expectations for himself.
“He was determined he will be a Bengals player. And he wanted to do all kinds of things, be a firefighter or be a police officer or a doctor,” Evans said. “He said one day that he was going to play for the Bengals and buy me and his dad everything we want in the world.”
Cincinnati police say excessive speed could have been a factor in the crash.
Evans’ ribs and knee were broken in the crash. Now, she has rods in her femur and pins in her shoulder. She is rehabbing and learning to walk again.
Michael is making progress, but has a long road ahead. To support their family, his football team is hosting a dine-in fundraiser at Buffalo Wild Wings on Harrison Avenue Wednesday, Sept. 17, where 20% of food sales go to Michael’s family. Evans thanks everyone for their prayers and donations.
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