WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — The West Valley City teenager shot by his father in a murder-suicide that left five members of his family dead last month is looking forward to his future as he continues to recover in the hospital.
Eighteen-year-old Sha Reh is currently unable to see and his family said he cannot remember the "tragic events" of what occurred inside his home in December, but that "his short and long-term memory have improved significantly since first being hospitalized."
Reh was found in the garage of his family's home on Dec. 17 and rushed to the hospital where he was diagnosed with a severe brain injury. The bodies of his mother, brother and two sisters were also found inside the home, along with his father.
“Sha Reh is our miracle and our hero," the family said in a statement released Wednesday, adding that he will be cared for by his aunt, uncle and cousins once he is able to leave the hospital.
Reh's family said he is experiencing new vision loss, although at times he can tell whether a room is light or dark, but only sporadically. It's not known if the teen will recover his vision.
“With the gift of time and additional miracles, we have hope that he will recover his vision, but we are prepared to support him in any event," the family added.
Watch full video below as principal gives amazing update on Sha Reh's recovery:
While police have not said whether Reh has spoken to them about the deadly incident in which he lost his immediate family, he is still grieving while looking ahead.
"[He] is aware of and has expressed sadness over the circumstances of his family members’ deaths," the statement said. "Despite his incomprehensible loss, he has stated that he feels ‘hopeful’ regarding the future."
Granger High School principal Tyler Howe said Reh has already graduated with a 3.9 grade point average due to having enough credits halfway through his senior year. He hopes to attend the University of Utah in the fall with dreams of becoming a lawyer.
"While there are still unknowns regarding his complete recovery, we are confident in his desire and ability to overcome, adapt, succeed, and thrive," the family added.
Reh's family also shared their appreciation for those who have donated to help the teenager with his education and future medical needs.
“We are grateful for the many expressions of support and the love that we have felt from
everyone who has been touched by this tragedy," the statement concluded. "We are eyewitnesses to a young man who possesses exceeding faith and the many miracles that come from that kind of faith.
"We are all better people because of Sha Reh.”
Sha got a special visit before school started this week from his teachers and staff at the school.
“The highlight for me was his smile,” said Granger High School Principal, Tyler Howe. "A student that is easy to champion as a principal, he's easy to love."
They took some special gifts to help him navigate without his eyesight.
"We did chip in as a staff, out of our personal money and it was amazing the response I saw from my teachers. Within hours of putting this idea out there, we had more than enough to buy some of those Apple Air Pod Max headphones,” added Howe.
They also got him an iPad where he can scan the room and get an audio description of what's around him.
Howe made multiple visits to see Sha and also got him a University of Utah beanie.
"I visited him also on Christmas day and that day I got to chat with him and I was just so impressed, not just that he was doing well, but he was asking his principal about his grades, and I said dude, don’t worry about your grades right now."
Anyone interested in funding the family's funeral services can follow the link here.
