Hope for Evan: N.S. dad seeks help to bring home son from IWK

CTV Atlantic: Dad seeks help to bring son home A single dad is asking for some help so he can bring his 12-year-old son home from the IWK Health Centre.

A single dad is asking for some help so he can bring his 12-year-old son home from the IWK Health Centre.

Kevin Turner was on his way home from work one day in May 2013 when he came upon an accident. His life changed dramatically that day.

“There was enough people on the scene and I was going to go by and then I noticed the bike that was on the ground,” says Turner.

He knew the bike belonged to his son Evan, but he had no idea how seriously the boy had been injured.

“It didn’t look good at all and there was a really high chance that he may not make it,” says Turner.

Evan suffered severe brain damage in the accident and can no longer eat, walk or talk.

Turner, who lives in Timberlea, N.S., visits his son at the IWK every day, and brings along his four-year-old boy and seven-year-old twin girls.

“I have them here every day,” says the single dad. “We spend as much time here as possible with Evan, just to keep the family environment.”

Turner says daily visits to the IWK have become the new normal for his family, and medically, Evan is doing well. He hopes Evan will be able to go home soon, but that will require a lot of changes.

“There’s a long list of equipment that he needs to make life at home possible.”

The military has fast-tracked a wheelchair-accessible home for the family, but they still need a van, motorized wheelchair, hospital bed and lift system – just a few of the essential items on a very long list.

Turner says he simply doesn’t have the money to cover all the costs and he’s not sure what to do next.

“This is something that you never dream of happening in your life, and then it happens.”

He started a fundraising page a few months ago, but it stalled at $8,000. He says he needs $50,000, but is trying to stay positive amid the financial stress.

“It’s devastating, but on the positive end of it, he’s alive.”

With files from CTV Atlantic's Kayla Hounsell