Conor McCann Fundraiser
Donación protegida
BELMAR - Few things are harder for Conor McCann right now than putting on his shoes.
This time last year, he was pulling on snowboarding boots in Colorado, getting ready to ride down the white hills. He'd tuck in the laces of his sneakers when he rode to and from Kaya's Kitchen, where he's the head chef.
Lately, the 26-year-old painstakingly slides his feet into slip-on shoes before he leaves the house he rents in Wall. He's getting rides to doctor's offices and filling out paperwork at the hospital, where he had reconstructive surgery on his right leg last month. This has been his life since Dec. 20, when a yellow Jeep Wrangler slammed into him as he rode his bicycle home at the intersection of Route 35 and 16th Avenue.
"I can't go back to work for at least four to five months," said McCann, the head cook at Kaya's Kitchen. "And (for the driver) to keep going, it's not a respectable move."
He doesn't remember what happened that night, except that he was leaving Kaya's Kitchen and planned to take his usual route home. That involves riding his bicycle through back roads, taking a right on 16th Avenue and crossing Route 35, where the road becomes Belmar Boulevard. He was struck at 10:19 p.m. at the intersection by the Jeep that was turning onto 16th Avenue from Route 35 North, according to the accident report, which cites witness accounts. The Jeep "fled the scene traveling east on 16th Avenue," the report states.
Two witnesses, one of them another driver, went to McCann's aid. They called police. First responders arrived at the scene and sent McCann to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.
The driver remains at large. Belmar police have not tracked down the Jeep, though they ask anyone with information to contact Detective Ryan Nolan at [teléfono editado].
In total, McCann was in the hospital for nearly five days. He had several surgeries and X-rays taken with more treatment ahead.
What's worse? He has to pay for it out of pocket. McCann was insured under his father's plan until he turned 26. He said he hasn't gotten a chance to sign up for coverage.
"I can imagine it (the cost) will be a lot,"he said. "Unfortunately, nothing is free."
McCann filled out paperwork for charity care subsidies and is waiting for his response.
Meanwhile, Kaya's Kitchen has started collecting donations for McCann in hopes of offsetting the total cost he'll face.
"He’s like a brother," said Omer Basatemur, the owner. "For that to happen to him, it kind of (upset me). I was driving around looking for a yellow Jeep a couple of days after."
Kaya's Kitchen is trucking on without its head chef. McCann, who started out as a busboy for the vegan restaurant when he was 17. He worked around the clock and started helping in the kitchen after the restaurant moved to its Main Street location. Eventually, he became the head chef, Basatemur's second-in-command.
Before the crash, McCann worked six days a week from start to closing.The staff has picked up shifts to compensate for his time off, including Basatemur.
"Luckily, it's wintertime time right now. We're busy, but we're not as busy for the summer," he said. "I've got to work every day until he gets better, but he's’s alive and that's the important thing."
What McCann misses most being about work is the "good vibes," making vegan dishes that contribute to that.
"There's a wait at the door," he said. "People are going to have a good time, and I'm in the back helping to make my food part of it. When I go to work, I can appreciate that."
For now, McCann is taking pleasure in the smaller, day-to-day victories. He managed to prop up his guitar and practice without too much strain on his leg. He imagines he'll be playing a lot more over the next five months.
http://on.app.com/1RocFt5
This time last year, he was pulling on snowboarding boots in Colorado, getting ready to ride down the white hills. He'd tuck in the laces of his sneakers when he rode to and from Kaya's Kitchen, where he's the head chef.
Lately, the 26-year-old painstakingly slides his feet into slip-on shoes before he leaves the house he rents in Wall. He's getting rides to doctor's offices and filling out paperwork at the hospital, where he had reconstructive surgery on his right leg last month. This has been his life since Dec. 20, when a yellow Jeep Wrangler slammed into him as he rode his bicycle home at the intersection of Route 35 and 16th Avenue.
"I can't go back to work for at least four to five months," said McCann, the head cook at Kaya's Kitchen. "And (for the driver) to keep going, it's not a respectable move."
He doesn't remember what happened that night, except that he was leaving Kaya's Kitchen and planned to take his usual route home. That involves riding his bicycle through back roads, taking a right on 16th Avenue and crossing Route 35, where the road becomes Belmar Boulevard. He was struck at 10:19 p.m. at the intersection by the Jeep that was turning onto 16th Avenue from Route 35 North, according to the accident report, which cites witness accounts. The Jeep "fled the scene traveling east on 16th Avenue," the report states.
Two witnesses, one of them another driver, went to McCann's aid. They called police. First responders arrived at the scene and sent McCann to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.
The driver remains at large. Belmar police have not tracked down the Jeep, though they ask anyone with information to contact Detective Ryan Nolan at [teléfono editado].
In total, McCann was in the hospital for nearly five days. He had several surgeries and X-rays taken with more treatment ahead.
What's worse? He has to pay for it out of pocket. McCann was insured under his father's plan until he turned 26. He said he hasn't gotten a chance to sign up for coverage.
"I can imagine it (the cost) will be a lot,"he said. "Unfortunately, nothing is free."
McCann filled out paperwork for charity care subsidies and is waiting for his response.
Meanwhile, Kaya's Kitchen has started collecting donations for McCann in hopes of offsetting the total cost he'll face.
"He’s like a brother," said Omer Basatemur, the owner. "For that to happen to him, it kind of (upset me). I was driving around looking for a yellow Jeep a couple of days after."
Kaya's Kitchen is trucking on without its head chef. McCann, who started out as a busboy for the vegan restaurant when he was 17. He worked around the clock and started helping in the kitchen after the restaurant moved to its Main Street location. Eventually, he became the head chef, Basatemur's second-in-command.
Before the crash, McCann worked six days a week from start to closing.The staff has picked up shifts to compensate for his time off, including Basatemur.
"Luckily, it's wintertime time right now. We're busy, but we're not as busy for the summer," he said. "I've got to work every day until he gets better, but he's’s alive and that's the important thing."
What McCann misses most being about work is the "good vibes," making vegan dishes that contribute to that.
"There's a wait at the door," he said. "People are going to have a good time, and I'm in the back helping to make my food part of it. When I go to work, I can appreciate that."
For now, McCann is taking pleasure in the smaller, day-to-day victories. He managed to prop up his guitar and practice without too much strain on his leg. He imagines he'll be playing a lot more over the next five months.
http://on.app.com/1RocFt5
Organizador y beneficiario
Bromar Bromorphius
Organizador
Belmar, NJ
Conor McCann
Beneficiario