Community helped grad overcome challenges.
STAMFORD — It was a cruel twist of irony that caused the Christmastime accident where Erwin Hernandez lost his leg.
The Stamford High School senior’s leg was amputated above the knee after the valet at Table 104, the restaurant where he was working, crashed a car into the kitchen. Police said the valet was confused by the car’s left-side gas pedal, which had been installed to accommodate the owner’s prosthetic leg.
Hernandez has since tackled a difficult journey recovering from the accident. The 18-year-old already overcame the challenges of immigrating with his family to America from Guatemala in 2015. He enrolled in Stamford High without knowing much English, but quickly learned the language. He rose through the ranks of the English as a Second Language program and transitioned out of ESL classes by his junior year.
Hernandez has become a popular member of the Stamford High community, which has rallied behind him during his recovery.
“They’re really helpful trying to collect money from people to support me and giving me a flexible schedule and providing many things,” said Hernandez, who received a big ovation Friday when he received his diploma at Stamford High’s graduation ceremony. “My teachers are being really kind. They allow me five extra minutes to be late to my next class and with homework, they allow me extra time if I need it.”
The school also arranged for Hernandez to have an elevator key and all his classes in the same hallway as he learned how to walk with a prosthetic leg. He also had a shorter school day to help accommodate his many appointments. He sees a physical therapist five times a week, a chiropractor and a psychologist. He also goes to a prosthetic clinic every two weeks.
“Before the accident, it wasn’t easy,” Hernandez said. “I was working fulltime and living by myself, going to school, getting good grades. After the accident, everything became more difficult. I learned we have to appreciate life. I try to get better everyday.”
Hernandez says he plans to focus on his recovery during the summer and hopes to eventually enroll at the University of Connecticut-Stamford.
Kristi Lawson, head of the English Language Learner program at Stamford High, has assisted Hernandez in his recovery. She helped him find new housing and has been serving as an advocate for him.
According to Lawson, the Stamford High community is giving back to Hernandez after he helped them. Hernandez, who was the only ESL student to become a member of the National Honors Society, had been mentoring ELL students before the accident.
“Teachers say it’s easy to help him because of how much he did for others,” Lawson said. “He’s a very giving person.”