LEWISTON — A 10-year-old boy who was struck by a car while crossing Sabattus Street last month is breathing on his own, according to a friend of the family.
Jamal Hussein Facebook photo
Local resident Heidi Sawyer posted Tuesday on Facebook that Jamal Hussein was taken off a ventilator that was assisting with his breathing.
“He is starting to slowly regain consciousness as seen by slight blinks of his eyes,” Sawyer wrote.
Doctors plan to move Jamal from the intensive care unit at Maine Medical Center in Portland into a standard in-patient unit sometime this week, she wrote.
He suffered a traumatic brain injury and received emergency surgery at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston before he was transferred to Maine Medical Center’s Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital.
“The family has asked me to please share their deep gratitude for everyone’s well-wishes, prayers, and concern,” Sawyer wrote. “They would love to be able to thank each person individually, but as you know their time is being spent focusing on Jamal and their other children. The outpouring of support has given them so much peace and hope and there just are no words to express their level of gratitude.”
Police said Jamal was attempting to cross Sabattus Street shortly before 7 p.m. on Aug. 12 when he was struck by a 2001 Subaru Forester driven by Linda Ann Vigil, 75, of Sabattus.
Police said the boy was not in a marked crosswalk at the time and it appeared he had been crossing with some relatives.
On an accident report, police described Jamal’s action as “dart/dash” at the intersection of Dow Avenue and Sabattus Street.
Lt. David St. Pierre said Wednesday that an autopsy was completed on Vigil’s car and that there were “no indications” the incident will result in any charges.
In creating a GoFundMe page for Jamal, Sawyer wrote that, “his recovery is a marathon and will require substantial long-term, medical treatment, and home accommodations to meet his needs. All of which would be financially devastating for any family.”
She added that cards can be sent to the attention of Jamal Hussein at Maine Medical Center, patient greetings, 22 Bramhall St. in Portland.
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