BOURNE, Mass. — It’s not a place anyone would choose to spend their birthday, but surrounded by family and hospital staff, Evan Bostwick turned 15 on Monday; a milestone that his aunt says they’re more grateful for than ever.
“We are definitely celebrating his life and the fact that he’s still with us because things could have been very different,” said Evan’s aunt Pamela Coakley.
Evan and his 17-year-old brother Colin have been slowly recovering from life-threatening injuries as Hasbro Children’s Hospital after a car accident on Cape Cod.
“Colin had a lot of trauma to the left side of his body because he was the driver. And basically, for anyone who has seen the pictures, the tree was in the seat where he should be,” said Coakley.
The teens were rushed to Providence nearly two weeks ago for emergency surgery after Bourne Police say their pickup truck slammed into a tree after veering off icy roads.
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“It’s every parent’s nightmare and it wasn’t just one it was two, and that makes it more heart-wrenching. Almost hard to wrap your head around,” said Coakley.
Family says Colin’s injuries are primarily from the waist up and Evan’s are from the neck up. Both boys are suffering from short-term memory loss and other brain injuries.
Still, their aunt says they’re now able to walk, talk, and have been removed from a one-on-one safety watch. Their next step is going to in-patient rehab as early as Tuesday.
“Every little step that we see with them gives us more hope and we do believe they’re going to make a full recovery. It’s just a matter of time,” said Coakley.
The community has stepped up in a big way since the accident, raising more than $35,000 for the teens to help cover the cost of the medical bills.
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