Michael Box smiles at greetings from high school pals, staff
Dec 28, 2007 - 08:04 AM
By Melissa Mancini
OSHAWA -- Despite a recent catastrophe that left 15-year-old Michael Box paralyzed from the neck down, his family was trying to make the best of a grim Christmas season.
Michael has been at the Hospital for Sick Children since early December after sustaining a devastating spinal cord injury while he competed in a high school wrestling match. Since his admission to Sick Kids, he has been fighting internal infections and had his most recent of six heart failures on Wednesday.
In spite of the obvious stress and strain the accident has had on his family, Michael's father, Scott, and the rest of the clan was determined to make the best of the holiday. On Christmas morning the family packed up all the gifts donated and purchased by staff at the Tim Hortons on King and Drew streets in Oshawa. Michael, his father, stepmother and three younger siblings did the traditional gift opening in his hospital room.
"There were bags and bags of gifts," Mr. Box said. "It was fantastic that Tim Hortons did that for us."
Perhaps the best present Michael received was a videotape of greetings from friends and teachers at Central Collegiate. The well wishes really lifted Michael's spirits.
"He had the biggest smile on his face when we watched it," said Mr. Box. "It was the first time I have seen him smile since all this happened, I was tearful watching him."
Mr. Box is now looking into selling his current home. He has had two contractors in to look at his house and has been told the renovations to suit Michael's needs would not be possible.
"It's a fairly new house, but the way it's shaped is going to make it impossible to get it up to the standards Michael needs," said Mr. Box. "The hallways are too short and narrow."
Mr. Box will be participating in a polar bear swim at 1 p.m. on New Year's Day. Some of the proceeds will go toward purchasing a wheelchair for his son. The dip will take place at the Ajax lakefront at Lakeview Boulevard, between Pickering Beach and Shoal Point roads.
There is a trust fund set up in Michael's name at the Bank of Montreal with the account number 39412-001-8116279 to help with the numerous costs associated with such an injury.
In the midst of such tragic circumstances, there was a glimmer of hope for Michael's family. His mother, Loretta Hughes, gave birth to a healthy baby girl named Hailey at Lakeridge Health on Boxing Day.
Recommend :
Latest News
Police kill man after he stabs woman to death, injures children
OSHAWA -- A birthday party in a south Oshawa townhouse turned violent when a man stabbed a woman to death and slashed at two young children, police said.Both of the children,...
Total Hockey's price included McFarlane's servicesCLARINGTON -- The $225,000 paid for the Total Hockey collection included three years of service from Peter Puck creator Brian McFarlane, including use of his time and contacts...
Major snowstorm possible late Sunday, early MondayDURHAM -- A weather system brewing in the Gulf of Mexico could bring a blast of winter to southern Ontario and possibly up to 20 centimetres of snowfall depending on the track...
New director for police services boardDURHAM -- A long-time civil servant with an extensive background in justice and policing issues has been hired as the new executive director of Durham's police services ...
Orr what a nightOSHAWA -- The cheers that bounced off the walls of the General Motors Centre last night were as loud as they were deserving.One of the greatest players in the history of ...
Ajax Pickering Board of Trade sees opportunity for success storiesAJAX-PICKERING -- The Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade identified positive steps being considered by the Federal Government as plans for the 2009 budget were discussed in Finance...
Creating jobs and helping healthPICKERING -- Fifty-three, high-value jobs coming to a local pharmaceutical company will help lead the world in the knowledge economy of the 21st century, Ontario's Premier ...
Region has template for growthDURHAM -- The Region now has a plan on how to accommodate 373,000 new residents slated to move to Durham in the next 25 years. And with input from the public, it will be up ...
Man stabbed in robbery attemptOSHAWA -- A man sustained a stab wound to his neck in what police are describing as a robbery attempt in downtown Oshawa Tuesday. The 18-year-old victim told cops he was with ...
Murder message loud and clear: witnessWHITBY -- The words "Kill Frank Lenti" were never uttered, but a police agent got the message that he was being dispatched to murder a Hells Angels enemy, a jury has...