A Wakulla County man whose 1-year-old daughter survived being ejected from an SUV during a horrific crash last week remains in a medically induced coma while friends try to raise money for medical and living expenses.
Dewayne “DJ” Reynolds Jr. had just picked up his daughter from day care Oct. 7 when his vehicle’s tire blew out, sending the SUV out of control and rolling over multiple times, said close family friend Kayla Lanier. He suffered severe head injuries.
His daughter, Rumani, was strapped in a car seat and survived the wreck with minor injuries. But Reynolds, 25, who works in lawn care, remains in the intensive care unit at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare and has a long road ahead of him.
“We believe God had his arms around both of them,” Lanier said. “We don’t know what the next steps are, how’s he going to wake up or how any of that’s going to happen, but we’re very hopeful.”
Reynolds’ mother and Lanier’s godmother, Bettina Brown Lawrence, owns a hair and tanning salon in Crawfordville, but has spent every day at the hospital with her son, leaving her temporarily without an income. His stepfather has been away from his business while taking care of his and Lawrence’s other children, Lanier said.
Lanier set up a GoFundMe account to raise money to help Lawrence pay for medical and living expenses while her son recovers. So far, more than $2,500 has been raised from 40 donors. He is insured through Medicaid, Lanier said, but so far his family hasn’t been able to access proof of coverage.
“He’s still sedated, so she’s just worried what’s going to happen next. We literally have to take it hour by hour,” Lanier said. “She hasn’t seen his face, seen his eyes open or heard his voice in a week now. That’s what’s really hitting her.”
Rumani is with her mother, who recently separated with Reynolds. Reynolds shares custody of Rumani with his ex and is a loving father, said Lanier.
“His life changed when she was born and you can just see how much she means to him,” said Lanier, who said he loves taking Rumani to Wakulla Springs, parks, the beach or elsewhere to enjoy nature.
“He has a big yard with a bunch of toys in it, so he lets her have fun. She’s his only kid, so he lets her do whatever she wants and as long as she’s happy, he’s happy,” Lanier said.
Once his condition is improved, Reynolds will need to go to another hospital for rehabilitation and he likely won’t be able to work at least through the rest of the year, Lanier said.
But friends have been generous dropping off donations at his mother’s salon to help out.
“The prayers are amazing. There’s so many people just praying for him,” Lanier said. “The prayers are huge. They’re making a difference, for sure.”
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Friends of Wakulla dad injured when baby ejected in crash establish GoFundMe
Reporting by Brendan Farrington / Tallahassee Democrat
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
