Even though she thought her son would be out of the intensive care unit Friday, the mother of Justin Carey says that he had to go back into surgery so doctors could seek the source of a serious infection.
Carey, 16, had both of his femurs broken and both femoral arteries severed on June 10 when he was hit by a Nissan Maxima at the intersection of Northeast 82nd Avenue and Northeast 289th Street in rural Clark County.
He was waiting for the bus to take him to Battle Ground High School at 7 a.m. when the crash occurred, but he wasn’t taken to the hospital until after a tow-truck driver found him 90 minutes later. The driver of the Nissan, Shaun Johnson, 46, of Vancouver, didn’t tell authorities she had hit someone. Clark County Sheriff’s Office is continuing its investigation and has not made any citations or arrests in the case.
With a good initial prognosis from his doctors, who said the 16-year-old boy would likely walk, Carey remains at the intensive care unit at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center fighting a staph infection. Chumley had been told that Carey may be moved to a less-intensive unit Saturday.
“It was supposed to be a good day for us, but it turned out not to be,” said Janette Chumley, Carey’s mom. “He’s just really sick.”
Having already had two surgeries that removed 85 percent of the muscle to his lower right leg, Carey underwent another surgery Friday in an attempt to determine the source of the infection, Chumley said.
“It’s not in his legs, so for right now, he gets to keep his legs,” she said. They did not find the source of the infection, however.
In the midst of the uncertainty, Chumley and her son have experienced an outpouring of support from the community — in the form of words, visitors and those who want to help offset the medical costs.
Future fundraisers are scheduled for June 27 at the Burgerville in Woodland and for July 14 at the South Pacific Cafe in Battle Ground.
Those interested in donating to help with Carey’s medical bills can do so by contributing to the “Justin Carey Caring Fund” at any Bank of America branch.
Details about these events, and more updates on Justin’s condition, can be found at http://caringbridge.org/visit/justincarey.
Emily Gillespie: http://twitter.com/col_cops; emily.gillespie@columbian.com.
