Help King's Family Following Bike Accident
Donation protected
On Wednesday, March 4th, one of our second graders at Elmore Elementary was hit by two cars while riding his bike across the street next to his apartment complex.
King and his family had been homeless, sleeping on his mom's friends' floors and couches, for a while. His mom worked hard to get them an apartment of their own, and King was ecstatic to have his own bedroom. They moved in just a couple weeks before his accident. On March 4th, King's mom's blood sugar dropped. Being the caring and compassionate kid that he is, King jumped on his bike to ride across Wayside Drive to the convenience store, where he planned on getting his mom a piece of candy to raise her blood sugar. As he finished crossing the road, a city truck hit him going at about 55mph. Before he landed on the ground, a second car hit him.
Video footage from the store's surveillance camera shows him attempting to stand up and make it to the convenience store - still thinking of his mom sick at home.
By the way, the city truck didn't even stop.
Due to internal bleeding and damage, he was already suffocating. An ambulance luckily happened to be passing at that moment and when they reached him, he had already stopped breathing. They were able to stabilize him and get him to Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital.
This is a low-income area where bike/car collisions are not uncommon. The combination of a lack of street lighting, no crosswalks for miles, and no speed limit enforcement is deadly. Memorials of bikes, flowers, and crosses are strewn along Wayside Drive; you would think the city would take notice. This was not the first to happen to an Elmore community member, and sadly, King was luckier than most.
King's injuries are extensive and severe. His bike handlebars went through his shoulder and had to be removed, and his shoulder is broken. He is missing skin on his face, shoulder, and arm. He lost teeth in half of his mouth. He has a significant concussion, and had bleeding in his stomach and lungs. He also damaged one of his eye sockets. His face will be permanently disfigured. He has been through one surgery already and has several more in the near future.
When we visited today, Ms. Reed (King's mom) told us that he has always been her rock through hard times. He always had a vision of a brighter future for his family, one that he often shared out loud to her when she felt hopeless, or just in the gesture of giving her a thumbs-up. The second grade team all knew King and his mom, but had no idea of the hardships they were facing until now. All we knew was a positive, happy, sometimes ornery kid who brightened our days and worked hard to get his reading level up. His family is well-known among Elmore teachers, and we have always enjoyed communicating with his caring and supportive mom.
Of course, Ms. Reed has had to stop working in order to care for him at the hospital and now at home, so they are in danger of losing the apartment she worked hard to get her family into. She just spent her last $60 on a medication he needed after being discharged. She also suffers from her own health issues, many of which have to take a backseat to her kids' needs.
Our first goal is making sure King and his family can stay where they are and not become homeless again while he continues his recovery, which will cost about $1500 total for now. Money will also be needed for medical expenses, transportation to and from the hospital, and groceries. If you have any money at all to spare toward this very worthy campaign, it would be so appreciated by King's family and the Elmore staff!
King and his family had been homeless, sleeping on his mom's friends' floors and couches, for a while. His mom worked hard to get them an apartment of their own, and King was ecstatic to have his own bedroom. They moved in just a couple weeks before his accident. On March 4th, King's mom's blood sugar dropped. Being the caring and compassionate kid that he is, King jumped on his bike to ride across Wayside Drive to the convenience store, where he planned on getting his mom a piece of candy to raise her blood sugar. As he finished crossing the road, a city truck hit him going at about 55mph. Before he landed on the ground, a second car hit him.
Video footage from the store's surveillance camera shows him attempting to stand up and make it to the convenience store - still thinking of his mom sick at home.
By the way, the city truck didn't even stop.
Due to internal bleeding and damage, he was already suffocating. An ambulance luckily happened to be passing at that moment and when they reached him, he had already stopped breathing. They were able to stabilize him and get him to Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital.
This is a low-income area where bike/car collisions are not uncommon. The combination of a lack of street lighting, no crosswalks for miles, and no speed limit enforcement is deadly. Memorials of bikes, flowers, and crosses are strewn along Wayside Drive; you would think the city would take notice. This was not the first to happen to an Elmore community member, and sadly, King was luckier than most.
King's injuries are extensive and severe. His bike handlebars went through his shoulder and had to be removed, and his shoulder is broken. He is missing skin on his face, shoulder, and arm. He lost teeth in half of his mouth. He has a significant concussion, and had bleeding in his stomach and lungs. He also damaged one of his eye sockets. His face will be permanently disfigured. He has been through one surgery already and has several more in the near future.
When we visited today, Ms. Reed (King's mom) told us that he has always been her rock through hard times. He always had a vision of a brighter future for his family, one that he often shared out loud to her when she felt hopeless, or just in the gesture of giving her a thumbs-up. The second grade team all knew King and his mom, but had no idea of the hardships they were facing until now. All we knew was a positive, happy, sometimes ornery kid who brightened our days and worked hard to get his reading level up. His family is well-known among Elmore teachers, and we have always enjoyed communicating with his caring and supportive mom.
Of course, Ms. Reed has had to stop working in order to care for him at the hospital and now at home, so they are in danger of losing the apartment she worked hard to get her family into. She just spent her last $60 on a medication he needed after being discharged. She also suffers from her own health issues, many of which have to take a backseat to her kids' needs.
Our first goal is making sure King and his family can stay where they are and not become homeless again while he continues his recovery, which will cost about $1500 total for now. Money will also be needed for medical expenses, transportation to and from the hospital, and groceries. If you have any money at all to spare toward this very worthy campaign, it would be so appreciated by King's family and the Elmore staff!
Organizer and beneficiary
Caleb Mitchell
Organizer
Houston, TX
Larrell Reed
Beneficiary
