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Bucks County Teen Staying Positive After Bus Crash

A Bucks County student is attempting to adapt to life in a wheelchair after a bus accident in February left his paralyzed from the chest down. The accident occurred in Boston and involved a busload of Philadelphia-area teens who had been on a tour at Harvard University.

The accident occurred on Feb. 2 when the charter bus careened into an overpass on a Boston road. More than 40 people were injured in the accident after the roof collapsed on the passengers. The 16-year-old Neshaminy High School sophomore suffered the most serious injuries.

At a news conference this week, the teenager spoke to the public for the first time about the accident. He said he has been hospitalized at Boston and Philadelphia hospitals since the accident, as well as a rehab center in Center City. The young man said he hopes his hard work and positive attitude will allow soon him to go home for the first time.

But the road to recovery has not been easy. The young man depended on tracheostomy tube to breath for weeks after the accident and could not speak. One of his doctors said the young man is “starting to stabilize” and is “doing better than I would’ve thought at this point.”

The doctor attributed the teen’s recovery to his fitness, youth and positive attitude. But he added that the young man still has “a long, long way to go.” When the teen is able to return home, his house will need to be equipped to accommodate his wheelchair, which will require an expensive remodel.

Luckily, the young man’s community has banded around him and is raising money to help with his medical expenses and modifications for his home. Additionally, the young man has hired a personal injury law firm to represent him in a lawsuit against the bus company, which could also provide the teen with valuable compensation for the catastrophic injuries he sustained.

Source: Philadelphia Inquirer, “Bucks student on long road to recovery after bus accident,” Chris Palmer, April 16, 2013