A seven-year-old boy is facing a long road to recovery after a car crashed into his home.
A seven-year-old boy from Hilo, Hawaii is facing a long road to recovery after being hit by a car that crashed into his home earlier this month. The accident, which was caught on security video, left Taurean Reign Denoto with severe injuries.
“At that time, a neighbor from across the street pulled into our driveway to pick up our other neighbor who we have a shared driveway with,” mother Alisha Hilton told KITV. “And before our neighbor even got into the vehicle all the way, the guy stepped on the gas and hit Taurean and drove through the front of our house.”
“With Taurean attached to the front bumper of his car. So he went face first through a wall,” father Ralph Hilton told KITV.
Taurean’s foot was almost completely amputated in the crash.
“Everything was severed except for one artery. Everything else was severed. I had to put his foot in my pocket to carry him outside,” Ralph Hilton told the outlet.
Alisha Hilton, who works as a surgical technologist at Queen’s North, knew time was critical to save her son’s life.
“She was just like hey we need tourniquets. I listened to her, we got him tourniquet off and he lived,” Ralph Hilton told KITV.
“If we didn’t act fast and know what to do, he would’ve bled out before EMTs got there,” Alisha Hilton told the outlet.
(KITV/HILTON FAMILY/CNN/CNN Newsource)
After being life-flighted to Queens Medical Center on O’ahu, a surgeon was able to reattach Taurean’s foot. He is now scheduled to have his seventh surgery on Wednesday.
“He’s going to have extensive deformities for the rest of his life from this,” Alisha Hilton told the station.
Police arrested the 71-year-old neighbor for negligent injury. The family said he had just had hip surgery and wasn’t supposed to be driving.
“I’m pretty sure your foot don’t work that well when you have a hip replacement. I’m thinking his foot fell off the brake and onto the gas pedal and he couldn’t lift it off, and once he started bouncing through our house when he hit the house, he definitely can’t lift his foot off the gas pedal,” Ralph Hilton told KITV’s reporters.
Taurean also suffered severed arteries and nerves in his wrist and a major concussion. There is no word yet on if or when he will be able to walk again.
“We’re trying to keep his spirits up and keep him as active as we can so he doesn’t lose muscle function and mobility in the rest of his body,” Alisha Hilton told the outlet.
For now, his family is asking for prayers for his continued healing.
“He’s got a good spirit. He’s tough,” Ralph Hilton told KITV.
“He’s determined. He’s an active boy. He plays sports and he’s not gonna let this stop him,” Alisha Hilton added, when speaking to the station.
Neighbors have set up a GoFundMe page for the family to help with medical expenses.
