A Black transgender teenager is on a long road to recovery more than one month after his mother and his ex-girlfriend found him brutally beaten in his apartment on May 13.
Kristian Rouse, 18, of Bakersfield, California, spent roughly a month hooked up to a ventilator in an intensive care unit and has since been transferred to a long-term care facility due to injuries he suffered in an attack that he says he does not remember.
Rouse suffered bruises to his body, including his neck, and he was barely able to speak when he was discovered at the Springs Apartments in the southwestern section of Bakersfield, California, which is nearly two hours north of Los Angeles.
Victim, 18, recovering after spending a month on a ventilator in an ICU
A police spokesperson told Gay City News that there is an ongoing investigation to determine what happened to Rouse, who cops said is still unable to speak and has not provided an official statement to police. Police said Rouse suffered from both bruises and a bout of pneumonia.
“The case is still open, still ongoing, and we’re still trying to figure out what occurred,” the spokesperson told Gay City News by phone on June 30.
Rouse’s mother, Eurydice Darrington, told the local NBC News affiliate that her son was contacting her on a daily basis during the time leading up to the attack in order to inform her that he was safe. She went to check on him after she did not hear from him, which was unusual.
Darrington did not immediately respond to Gay City News’ request for comment on June 30, but she has posted updates to a GoFundMe account that was posted in order to help cover the costs of her son’s medical expenses. On June 14, Darrington said her son was being “weaned off the ventilator very slowly,” and on June 29 she wrote that he was off the ventilator altogether, but requires surgery to remove scar tissue from his throat so he can speak again. She noted that he is still unable to use his right arm and can barely use his right leg.
“His recovery will be very long and he will need LOTS of physical therapy,” Darrington wrote on the GoFundMe page, which has generated nearly twice as much money as the original $25,000 goal.
Darrington posted another update on June 30, writing that her son “so appreciates the love and support that he is receiving and so do I.”
“Kristian is my sweet and precious baby boy and this ordeal has been a terrible nightmare for both of us,” Darrington added. “Kristian is a warrior and he is fighting every day to get better. He has an EXTREMELY tough and VERY long road to recovery ahead. Please continue to send positive energy and love for him and this Mommy whose heart is shattered in a million pieces.”
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