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Teen hit by car on I-15 while retrieving camping gear remains in medically induced coma

Posted at 6:22 PM, Aug 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-10 10:11:08-04

MURRAY, Utah -- The Soriano family has been hanging on to their 17-year-old son’s life.

Josue Soriano has been in a medically-induced coma at Intermountain Medical Center since Aug. 2 after he was hit on Interstate 15 while retrieving camping gear inside a backpack that fell off his dad’s truck.

The worst of his many injuries is a head fracture, according to his older brother, 23-year-old Tony Soriano.

Doctors have said Josue has brain swelling and that can be the most unpredictable.

Normally, this time of year, the last few weeks of summer before Josue’s high school senior year at Riverton High, he would be camping or skateboarding with his friends. His family is praying he can wake up soon and be on his way to recovery.

“The entire time I was praying and it's really my faith that has helped me be strong in a moment like this,” Tony Soriano said.

He shared the pain his family has endured this last week, learning about the seriousness of Josue’s injuries, which will take years of healing.

“He has a fractured skull, two broken vertebrates in his neck, broken collar bone, trauma in his lungs, a torn- ripped liver and spleen,” Soriano said.

Tony said there has been a lot of support for Josue on Facebook and from visitors to the hospital. Their little sister gave the biggest gift.

“Our baby sister she bought him this gigantic, gigantic sized bear. It's huge. It might be bigger than him! We stuffed it in his room there,” he said.

The real gifts though are all the donation people have given for Josue’s medical bills and for a raffle that Soriano and his aunt have organized to collect money and give away prizes. They have everything from handmade blankets, dog leashes, Starbucks gift cards, Chili’s gift cards, Little Caesars, Subway, an ‘easy-up’ tent for the outdoors and many other gifts. The family also has a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/groups/prayforjosue

Someone even donated Josue’s dream skateboard to be raffled off.

“Just knowing that all the love that Josue has from people family and friends supporting him it's just really comforting for me to know,” Soriano said.

If you want to help Josue’s family prepare for the medical bills these are the links below, from the raffles, to a Zion’s Bank account, Venmo and PayPal.

Pray For Josue Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/prayforjosue/

Raffle: https://www.facebook.com/jennifer.cannon.399/media_set?set=a.10205124601272940&type=3&pnref=story

Tony Soriano’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1489268379

You can also go into any Zion’s Bank and ask to donate to Josue Soriano.