David Loperena holds his son Dominic, 7, as he and his wife Kimberly watch him hold his head up for the first time at Valley Medical Center Sunday. Dominic was hit by a car while riding a bike on July 29 and is recovering from severe brain trauma.
In an instant, a family's daily life was drastically altered. Instead of a care-free end of the summer existence for three young boys, suddenly one of them was fighting for his life.
The then 6-year-old Dominic Loperena was riding his bike on Santa Teresa Boulevard the evening of July 29 when he suddenly swerved out, making a U-turn, but was hit by a car driven by Maria Scanlon, 53, of Morgan Hill. She was not charged with any infractions.
Without a helmet, Dominic received severe brain trauma and has been hospitalized ever since. He was recently moved out of the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center intensive care unit into the pediatric unit.
Last week, he reached out for a ball that his grandmother was holding, an important development, according to his doctors.
He is fed through a tube that goes through his abdomen directly into his stomach, which is an improvement over the feeding tube he had that ran through his nose and throat.
"It's sometimes too easy to take the ones closest to us for granted," father David Loperena said. "The demands and distractions of our daily lives sometimes serve to overshadow that which truly matters most. So take the time to remind the ones you love just how special they are to you. There is nothing more important."
Mom Kimberly Loperena said the family is focused on doing whatever is necessary to help Dominic recover.
"We are all just praying that when he recovers, he'll still be the excited little boy we miss so dearly," she said. "We just hope he'll be Dominic again. The doctors and nurses at Valley Medical have been incredible. And we are thankful for the outpouring of compassion, support and prayers we've received from the community."
Morgan Hill has really rallied around the family, Kimberly said. A non-profit fund has been set up to help them deal with sky-rocketing medical expenses, and a blog has been established to keep friends informed on his condition and to allow visitors to send messages of concern and comfort.
On Dominic's seventh birthday Thursday, Scramblz hosted a fundraising dinner for the family.
"If nothing else the weeks since the accident have taught us the true meaning of community," David said. "We will never forget the people and families of Morgan Hill for their compassion, generosity and kindness of heart.
Dominic was scheduled to start first grade at Charter School of Morgan Hill, and though his brothers, Dalen, 10, and Donovan, 12, are back in school, it may be quite some time before he is ready to put on his backpack.
"We hope he will be able to walk and talk again," Dalen said. Donovan said the brothers miss having him at home and look forward to playing with him again, "even if he goes back to annoying us all the time."
To follow Dominic's progress, visit the family's blog at http://dominicsfriends.blogspot.com/. To help the family through a non-profit fund, donations may be made payable to Dominic's Friends c/o A Children's Garden, 610 East Dunne Ave., Morgan Hill. The tax ID number is 80-0233274.
Marilyn Dubil Marilyn Dubil is a freelance writer for The Times.
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