A five-year-old boy is the sole survivor of a horrific car accident that claimed the lives of multiple family members.
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Nathaniel Rodriguez was traveling with his father, his father's girlfriend, and his grandparents before the crash.
The incident occurred around 4:45 pm, east of Riverside Avenue, Rialto. According to a report by the Victorville Daily Press, the family of five were in a Toyota Camry, which veered into the right side of the road. The vehicle then collided with a tree stump and caught fire. The precise cause of the incident is unknown, but authorities believe no other vehicles were involved.
The accident claimed the lives of Edgar Rodriguez, 35, Ramiro Rodriguez, 60, Maria Benitez Ramos, 62, and Melinda Perez, 44. All were declared dead at the scene.
Five-Year-Old Nathaniel Is In Critical Condition
Nathaniel miraculously survived the ordeal but remains in critical condition. The Victorville report explains that Nathaniel has burns covering 50% of his body. He has also sustained other severe injuries, including a fractured femur and bleeding into the brain. Tragically, Surgeons had to amputate both of Nathaniel's arms and expect doctors many more surgeries will be required.
According to a statement on the family's GoFundMe page, Nathaniel's road to recovery is complicated.
"He has been started on antibiotics as he has a bacterial infection in his skin. He remains on a ventilator, heavily sedated, and will need more skin surgeries this coming week. Nathaniel will also undergo a tracheostomy, which is putting a tube directly into his trachea as he will require the ventilator for some time still.
The reality is that he will be in the burn unit for months and then be looking at a very long recovery with physical and occupational therapy, as well as bioprosthetic arm creation and training."
The most recent update explains that Nathaniel has developed a serious fungal infection, which required surgical intervention to prevent it from spreading to his face.
At the time of writing, the fundraiser on GoFundMe has just surpassed its $75k target with $76,691 raised. The page contains several lengthy updates on Nathaniel's recovery, including one from Christmas Day, which concludes:
"Every day is a new mountain to climb for Nathaniel and his family, and your continued generosity keeps his steps, no matter how tiny, moving him up the mountainside."
