16-year-old victim of stabbing at station is out of coma: “His life was hanging by a thread” (Domestic)

“He had to fight for his life,” his mother Cindy told us earlier. “After the surgery on his hand, they stopped his sleeping medication.” The teenager has now fully regained consciousness. “Although he still sleeps a lot,” mother Cindy adds.

After school, Cindy’s son was on his way home from school in Herentals on Monday. He was involved in a fight and stabbing at Geel station, after which he ended up in Geel hospital with life-threatening injuries. He was stabbed in the abdomen with a knife, completely puncturing an abdominal muscle. The boy also suffered a deep cut on his hand.

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The victim’s mother feels relieved now that her son has regained consciousness, but she realizes that he still has a long road of rehabilitation ahead of him. “This school year is a lost year,” she says. “The tendons and muscles in his left hand are seriously damaged. It can take more than a year for it to heal completely. He won’t be able to do much – he won’t even have feeling in his index finger.”

No feeling

It remains uncertain whether rehabilitation will make a full recovery. “Only time will tell,” Cindy continues.

For the time being, the 16-year-old boy cannot go home yet. He still remains in the intensive care unit. “My son has no feeling in his right thigh. The doctors suspect that this is because there is still blood in his abdomen. To check this, he will have a scan today,” the mother explains. “He will also have a scan to check for any lung damage.”

READ ALSO. Stabbing increases feelings of insecurity at Geel station: “You would think something like this only happens in America”

If the results of the scans are relatively favorable, there is a chance that the boy will be transferred to a regular hospital room. “Although the doctors take it day by day,” Cindy explains. “Yesterday they tried to put him from bed into a chair, but that didn’t work. He can’t sit either, his stomach doesn’t allow that.”

Shocked

The realization of what happened to the 16-year-old victim is slowly dawning on him, although he has lost many parts of his memories. “We told him what happened, but we are trying to withhold the details for now,” his mother said. “We make it clear to him that it was serious and that his life was hanging by a thread.”

Although he has already seen some censored videos of the incident, it is still difficult for him to comprehend. “He starts crying when he sees me. He was never that emotional, so he really realizes the seriousness of the situation,” says mom Cindy.

READ ALSO. School police officer after stabbing in Geel: “The scale of Monday evening’s fight is really very exceptional”

The teenager has also reconnected with his friends. “Yesterday we had a video call with everyone,” she says. “That was very nice for both them and my son.” Friends often ask him what exactly happened, but he often cannot answer because he has lost many memories.

Two minor perpetrators were arrested and were brought before the juvenile court on Tuesday and placed in a closed youth institution. Another perpetrator is still on the run, the investigation into possible other people involved continues.