STAMFORD — Erwin Hernandez reported to the kitchen at Table 104 on Long Ridge Road, expecting it to be a typical night at work.
A few hours later, a valet driver crashed a car into the restaurant’s kitchen, leaving the Stamford High senior with a seriously injured leg just two days after Christmas.
Three surgeries later, Hernandez finds himself recovering from an above-the-knee leg amputation. Investigation of the accident led to the discovery of a terrible coincidence.
According to Stamford Police Sgt. Andrew Gallagher, the owner of the car told the valet driver the vehicle had the gas pedal on the left side to accommodate his prosthetic leg. The car owner offered to park the car himself, but the valet driver declined. Minutes later, the valet driver crashed into the restaurant’s kitchen, seriously injuring Hernandez.
During an interview in the hospital, Hernandez, 18, was forthcoming about the immediate aftermath of his life-changing injury.
“At the beginning, it was pretty overwhelming, but now it’s a little bit calmer,” Hernandez said.
Since the accident and his surgeries, Hernandez has been moved to the Van Munching Rehabilitation Center at Stamford Hospital, where he is learning how to walk with crutches and how to get around in a wheelchair.
Among other symptoms, Hernandez said he is experiencing “phantom pain,” a relatively common symptom for people who lose a limb. Phantom pain is the feeling that the missing limb is still present.
Like others who experience this type of pain, Hernandez continues to receive extremely painful sensations from his leg, even though it is no longer a part of his body.
“I still feel like my leg is there, so we are working on exercises to try to get my other leg stronger,” he said.
In addition to the more obvious physical challenges that Hernandez is facing, he said he is still learning “how to manage all of these things mentally and emotionally.”
He also said one of the hardest things is how quickly his life has changed.
“I went from being up on my feet for 16 hours a day to being in a hospital bed,” Hernandez said.
In the future, he hopes to learn how to use a prosthetic leg, but he cannot do so until his wound is completely healed.
Despite all of these changes, Hernandez has tried to remain very positive. He is expected to be in the rehab center for the next two weeks and is planning to return to Stamford High in late January to complete his senior year.
Hernandez said it is truly a tragedy, but he is trying to remain strong and is looking forward to going back to school and continuing to participate in groups like the peer mentoring program and the National Honor Society.
Hernandez knows his recovery won’t come easily, but is thankful for all of the support he has received from the community.
He said this is a “really bad situation,” but all of his visitors and support have helped him to remain “mentally strong.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover some of the medical expenses. Administrators, teachers, students, friends and community members who have never even met Hernandez have come together to support him. His teachers have described him as the “ideal student.”
Many have posted encouraging and supportive comments on the GoFundMe page, which has generated more than $50,000 in donations. Teacher Kristin Veenema said Hernandez’s “smile and thoughts and kindness are missed in class.”
Stamford High graduate Caro Lescano wrote, “I admire all that you’ve accomplished so far and know you have a lot of greatness ahead of you.”
Donor Linda Tillman said Hernandez is truly being “a role model for us all.”
Hernandez said aside from his rehab and therapy, he doesn’t believe the accident will impact his future goals.
“I will try to keep doing the things that I was doing when I was fine,” he said.
To donate, visit www.gofundme.com and search for the “Keep the Promise” campaign.
Marissa Young is a Stamford High student and editor-in-chief of the school’s newspaper, The Round Table.