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Earlier this month, St. Francis' 13-year-old son Cameron was seriously injured while playing with friends at the Pappas Recreational Complex. Since then, she says she's had endless support from the community and even some strangers who want to help.
"I can't speak more highly of this community (Auburn)," she said in a phone interview on Monday, April 24. "... The amount of calls of people offering help or kindness has really shown me we're a family."
A GoFundMe for Cameron surpassed its $5,000 goal in less than a week. A friend whose child suffered similar injuries set up the fundraiser based on the cost of her child's medical bills. Though, St. Francis isn't sure how much she and her husband will need as Cam's wounds are worse.
Cameron broke his orbital and sinus bones and received a severe trauma concussion on April 14 when a friend collided with him while they ran the bases at Fuller Field. Cam's younger brother was playing a game on a nearby field, and the teens were racing around the diamond in the dark.
The effects of his injuries were immediate.
Two nurses and a doctor who happened to be nearby rushed to his side, but they struggled to find a pulse at first. Vickie said she watched in horror as they gave him five chest compressions before she heard her son begin to babble incoherently.
Paramedics rushed him to UMass-Worcester, where his worst symptoms persisted throughout the night. But by Saturday, Cam showed signs of improvement.
"I've never been so happy to hear my son call me bro," Vickie laughed.
Doctors believe he'll recover, but they expect it will take six to eight weeks for the physical wounds to heal. The long-lasting impacts of the concussion are unknown, but he has youth on his side.
Cameron will miss out on his beloved baseball season this year, but he hopes to be healthy enough for all-star baseball in the summer, his mom said.
Cam returned to Auburn Middle School for the first time on Monday, and he'll begin a rotating schedule soon, his mom said. His principal and teachers reached out to his parents to make his recovery and transition back to class as smooth as possible.
They were just a few in a long line of people who've stepped up since Cam's injury — from the nurses and doctors at UMass-Worcester to the Auburn Little League and the St. Francis' neighbors.
It's something Vickie says she will pay forward.
"My husband and I grew up (in Auburn)," she said, "and we were set on our kids growing up here too. This is why."
Click here to learn more about the GoFundMe campaign to help cover Cameron's medical bills.
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