‘EVERY DAY, THIS BOY IS GETTING STRONGER’ AS APPEAL TOPS £1K
Family grateful for donations for teen hit by van
A FUNDRAISING appeal has been set up for a teenage pedestrian hit by a van – just days after he was ‘certified dead’.
More than £1,000 has already been raised for Lewis Roberts through the ‘A Pint for Lewis’ online appeal.
It comes less than two weeks after the 18-year-old former Leek High School pupil, from Blackshaw Moor, appeared to have lost his fight for life at the Royal Stoke University Hospital.
Appeal organiser, Chloe Roberts, said: “On March 13, Lewis suffered catastrophic head injuries when he was struck by a van in his hometown of Leek and was flown to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.
“Four days later, the doctors broke the news to our family that nothing more could be done as he had unfortunately suffered a ‘brain stem death’ and sadly passed away.
“After saying our goodbyes to Lewis, close family bravely agreed for his organs to be donated to help the lives of seven other people.
“This bought Lewis extra time before his life support machine was turned off. Just hours before Lewis’ surgery, he began to breathe again on his own. A miracle any family could wish for after being told he had zero chance of pulling through.
“After this, Lewis has carried on progressing. He has started to react to pain tests, moving his limbs on his own, and also moving his head from side to side, blinking and also moving his mouth.
“Every day, this boy is getting stronger.
“Many people have asked to send money for a pint for Lewis. Any money that is sent will be for Lewis when he is home and back on his feet.
“We would just like to say, as a family, thank you so much and we are very grateful for everyone’s prayers and best wishes for Lewis.”
Lewis was knocked over on Broad Street, in Leek – near its junction with Hartington Street – on the afternoon of Saturday, March 13.
Following the launch of the fundraising appeal, sister Jade Roberts, aged 28, said: “Thank you so, so much to every single one of you who has donated. Lewis will be chuffed to bits.
“We cannot wait for him to wake up and see it.”
Staffordshire Police are continuing to investigate the collision.
Anyone with any information should call the police on 101, quoting incident number 413 of March 13.