Mom asks drivers to be careful after son badly hurt

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This article was published 26/01/2011 (5579 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The mother of an eight-year-old boy seriously injured in a crash earlier this month is making an appeal to local drivers.

She asks motorists to be more careful, especially in the winter weather — use turn signals, look for other vehicles leave and leave a greater distance when following other vehicles.

"Just be safe out there on the roads," Cyndie Hunt-Reid said yesterday.

Her son, Brendan Reid, is now home from hospital and doing well after suffering a fractured skull in the Jan. 4 crash. But his ordeal put a scare into his family.

"We’re so thankful that he’s here with us. He could have been injured worse," Hunt-Reid said.

Police continue to investigate and Brendan has no memory of the crash itself so it’s still not clear exactly what happened.

Early in the investigation, it appeared that a vehicle southbound on 18th Street North made an unsafe right turn in front of four southbound vehicles, which then rear-ended each other.

Brendan was riding in the back seat of a car that was caught in the pileup. His 16-year-old brother, Jayden, was in the front passenger seat while Jayden’s 17-year-old friend was driving.

The next thing Brendan recalls is being in a bed at the Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg.

However, it appears that when the first vehicle cut the others off, a vehicle in front of the boys’ car stopped suddenly.

Their car rear-ended the vehicle in front and, just as the teens took off their seatbelts to check on Brendan in the back, their vehicle was hit by a truck.

The boys in the front seat hit their heads on the steering wheel and dashboard. They suffered concussions but were otherwise OK.

Brendan also hit his head but it’s not clear what his head struck.

Cyndie was at work when Jayden called on his cellphone to tell her about the crash. She, in turn, called her husband, Royce, and they met at the Brandon hospital.

There, it was determined that Brendan had a skull fracture and he was flown to the Children’s Hospital in Winnipeg.

The day after the crash, he underwent surgery to have the fracture repaired using a plate and screws. He also received a blood transfusion.

Brendan spent the next 11 days recovering in hospital. The surgery and medications left his body and eyes swollen.

Now at home, he’s doing much better.

He has a scar to the left side of his head, a little weakness to his right side and he sometimes he forgets the names for certain things.

Despite those challenges, he’s expected to make a full recovery.

He’s up and walking about but will have to take some physio and occupational therapy. For now, he’s home from school resting, surrounded by cards from well-wishers.

"Get well soon, Brendan," reads one huge green card written from Brendan’s buddy, Carson Zavitz. "I miss playing video games with you."

A multi-coloured bouquet of paper flowers, made by Brendan’s classmates at Valleyview Centennial School, urges him to get well.

Cyndie said the family is touched by the concern showed by local residents.

Word of Brendan’s injury had spread throughout Brandon and its hockey community.

Brendan played novice hockey and a collection of $500 was raised during a recent tournament to help cover costs for the family.

Family friends Bree and Dale Schappert also collected $400 on Brendan’s behalf.