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DEL.ICIO.USPeople do care, but will Trevor get an apology?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Trevor, people care.
Natasha Gubash of Loganville stands ready to open her purse.
“I’m sure their medical bills will be large,” she wrote to me via e-mail. “Please let me know how I can help.”
And Mike Bradford of Lilburn, wants to tutor you — for free.
“I don’t know if I will be a good enough tutor to help Trevor, but I will gladly try my best,” the private instructor said in an e-mail. “Please let his family know that there are people out here who care for them, and who will do whatever they can to help.”
Gubash and Bradford are two people who felt compelled to respond after reading about Trevor Sanford in Sunday’s column. The 15-year-old boy was attacked by two students Dec. 6 after a basketball game at Meadowcreek High.
Campus police say Darron D. Dalton, 16, struck Trevor in the face while Corddaro B. Thomas, 18, restrained the victim. They’ve been charged with one count each of aggravated battery, a felony, and may be tried as adults. They also will be disciplined at the school.
As for Trevor, well, he’s on the mend at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite. Progressing well, too. An MRI conducted late last week found no leakage or lesions on the brain. On Sunday, father and son watched a football game together.
But Trevor’s not out of the woods. Not by a long shot. A neuropsychologist looked him over on Monday. And rehab will be a way of life for weeks to come.
“The MRI came out good,” Tim Sanford, his father, told me. “Now we have to worry about his cognitive skills.”
Trevor’s scheduled release date is Friday. The family has been told that he’ll have to undergo outpatient rehabilitative therapy for at least 45 days. Sticker shock set in when Sanford found out the cost of outpatient services.
“I just learned today that the rehabilitation is going to cost $1,000 a day,” said Sanford, owner of a small cleaning business that he’s pretty much neglected since his son’s tragedy. “Insurance will take care of some of the cost but not all of it.”
So on Monday, after hearing about kind-hearted people like Bradford and Gubash, Sanford set up an account at Washington Mutual Bank to collect donations. All proceeds will benefit Trevor.
“We are truly blessed,” he told me.
Through all the tears and worry about Trevor’s recovery, Sanford sees one thing crystal clear. His youngest son has spent his last days at Meadowcreek High.
“Home schooling,” he told me last week. “We’ve already let school officials know that other arrangements will have to be made. I want him to have a better opportunity for an education.”
Bradford, the tutor who offered his services for free, understands.
“I don’t think it would be good for him to return to Meadowcreek,” he said.
Sanford said he’s long forgiven his boy’s attackers. “I prayed for them,” he said.
Now he wants to meet them.
“For some reason I have it in my head that somebody — either them or someone from their family — is going to come by the hospital and apologize, or something,” he said. “I just got that feeling that that is going to happen.”
Late Monday, he was still waiting.
Comments
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By Lilburn Parent
December 19, 2005 08:18 PM | Link to this
Mr. Sanford…
The families will likely not apologize. They are likely embarrassed, may feel really bad, they may just plain have bad manners, they may be ignorant as to what to do or say.
I apologize for these “stupid, stupid, cowardly young men!”
* The young men will likely apologize prior to “sentencing.” * They will probably humble themselves at that point to try to receive leniency from the Judge.
Unfortunately what could have been a simple fight… has now ruined the lives of 3 young men. And adversely affected all of their family members. This could be financially devastating to the victims family.
These tough guys will now become part of the prison system. The men already in prison sometimes want “fresh meat.” To survive, these tough guys may have to become “very friendly” with hardened criminals. :-( (sad)