'I just hurt for him,' Big Walnut student hit by a parade float recovering from surgery
Sixth-grader Kenny Zedeker was seriously injured in an incident during Big Walnut's homecoming parade. (Family photo)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — An 11-year-old boy who was seriously injured during a homecoming parade on Friday is recovering from another surgery.
Kenny Zedekar went into surgery Monday evening at Nationwide Children's Hospital. His mom said it went well, but he still has a long road ahead.
"Overwhelmed, angry, sad," Kenny's mom, Amanda Stepp said. "I just hurt for him. I still don’t understand how this happened, and I don’t know if I can ever really realize why or how it happened, but it happened."
Kenny's family and the Ohio State Highway Patrol said he was walking alongside a float in the Big Walnut Homecoming parade when he fell and was hit by the trailer's tires.
"You never think it will happen until it happens to you," Christina Burton, Kenny's aunt Christina Burton said.
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After a sad and worrisome weekend by Kenny's side at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Burton said he's starting to acknowledge their voices. The gives his family hope.
"Just to feel him squeeze my hand," Stepp said. "I never thought I could cherish something so much, but just feeling him do that is beyond words."
"We’ve been definitely talking more, sharing memories about him in the room, so he can hear us laughing and talking about how we can't wait to get him home, so he knows he’s not going anywhere," Burton said.
His mom and aunt said they're overwhelmed by the community's support. A GoFundMe fundraiser has more than $82,000 in donations for the family.
"I put a thousand dollars thinking maybe it’ll cover a month of rent, and that will make her just be able to breathe," Burton said. "Never in a million years would I have expected the amount of support that we have gotten."
Burton and Kenny's mom said they cannot wait to show Kenny how many people love him.
"It’s just nice to see that everybody’s coming together for him and that he’s impacted so many people he doesn’t even know it yet," Stepp said.
There's a prayer vigil for Kenny at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 5. The location will be announced soon. Everyone is invited to join.
Kenny's aunt also asks that people pray for a smooth recovery so he can be back doing what all 11-year-olds should be doing as soon as possible.