After a car accident left him a quadriplegic, this young Miami Cuban needs help

Jan. 3—Carlos Corpas was born and raised in Cuba during the Special Period, under the ruthless communist regime of Fidel Castro. But despite the tremendous difficulties he faced as a child and teenager on the island, nothing compares to what he experienced in Miami in the last year.

On the night of June 7, 2020, as he was driving home after visiting a friend, the 27-year-old lost control of his car and crashed into a tree.

The next thing he remembers is waking up in a hospital bed, hooked up to a respirator and full of confusion. He had no recollection of the accident. Most shockingly, he couldn't move his arms or legs.

The trauma left the young man a quadriplegic, a tragedy he and his main caregiver, his father — also named Carlos Corpas — have faced with courage and optimism. Now, during this festive season, they're asking the community to join their fight.

Father and son used to work in construction, but now only the father can do so to support both of them and cover the medical expenses. They need financial aid to buy a special chair, which costs about $2,000, so that the father can bathe his son without having to hold him up to prevent him from falling or getting dizzy in the shower.

Adriana Sarcos, a social worker for Spinal Cord Living Assistance, a South Florida organization that has been serving people with disabilities for 35 years, has been assisting Carlos as he adjusts to his new reality, or as Carlos Jr. describes it, his "new world."

"Carlos [the son] is quite young for what happened to him. It's sad," she said. "But this chair is going to make life easier for both of them. We hope they get it."

'I thought it was something minor'

Carlos Sr., the 49-year-old father, received a call on the morning of June 8 from the hospital workers. They told him his only child was in the intensive care unit at Jackson Memorial Hospital Ryder Trauma Center. Initially, he said, he didn't process the news, he just drove there.

"In those moments you don't realize what is happening," he said. "I thought it was something minor."

When he finally saw him, his son begged him to take him away, he remembers, and he promised that he would soon. At that point they were unaware of the severity of his injuries. They only knew he had a broken rib and a skull fracture.

However, after he underwent a back surgery that lasted about 10 hours, it was clear to both that the recovery would be much slower. Carlos Jr. did not leave the hospital for about three months and after three cardiac arrests.

His hospitalization lasted longer than expected because doctors found bacteria in one of his lungs. They determined that his life was in danger to such a degree that they induced a coma that lasted for 53 days.

During that time, Carlos Sr. couldn't see him, hug him or speak to him due to COVID restrictions. He only got information about his son from doctors who called to update him from time to time.

It was on one of those calls, after the second cardiac arrest, that the doctors asked Carlos Sr. to go to the hospital to say goodbye to his son, because they believed he was too weak and would not survive.

"I just took his hand," said the father, his voice breaking as he remembered his fear when he sensed his son would die.

Carlos Jr., on his part, doesn't remember much.

"I woke up feeling out of it. For me those 53 days did not pass," he said. "When I woke up I thought I slept for two days and that was it."

'I'm just going to keep moving on'

As it did for many others, 2020 changed the Corpas' lives forever.

The father now spends most of his time trying to make sure his son feels as comfortable as possible. He's constantly fighting with health insurance representatives, contacting his doctors and dealing with the care service he hired to look after Carlos Jr. while he works.

The son can move only from the neck up. Before, he enjoyed running and playing sports, mainly soccer, which "was everything for him." He now needs help with showering, getting dressed, combing his hair, brushing his teeth, eating — basically everything. And if that weren't enough, he's also in constant pain.

Most of the son's days consist of watching Netflix and chatting with his friends via WhatsApp by voice notes. The best days are Tuesdays and Thursdays, because he goes to physical and occupational therapy and that allows him to see his improvement. Since he started going in October, he has managed to move his fingers a bit.

Sarcos, the social worker, said she doesn't expect Carlos to regain mobility because the percentage of quadriplegics who do is low. "It's very difficult," she said.

But Carlos is holding on to his faith.

"I don't feel bad. I don't feel good either," he said. "It's frustrating, but I have no other choice. I'm not going to cry. I'm just going to keep moving on. I think I can recover," he said.

"I hope so."

HOW TO HELP

Wish Book is trying to help hundreds of families in need this year. To donate, pay securely at MiamiHerald.com/wishbook. For information, call 305-376-2906 or email [email protected]. (The most requested items are often laptops and tablets for school, furniture, and accessible vans.) Read more at MiamiHerald.com/wishbook.

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