A desperate family is hoping and praying for an 18-year-old who has been in coma for five months after being hit by a car.
Joseph Flavill was out with friends when he stepped into the pavement and was hit by a car on March 1.
The 18-year-old has fought all odds to stay alive, even battling coronavirus while in coma at Leicester Royal Infirmary and fighting off pneumonia, reports Cornwall Live.
Joseph has a traumatic brain injury which has left him unresponsive and in a coma since the day of the accident.
His auntie Sally said: “When he is having a good day he responds with noise and they believe he is really trying to communicate.
“We are all just hoping and praying that at some point he wakes up and has some sort of life ahead of him.”
Due to the pandemic, family have been unable to visit Joe for months, with the exception of his mother Sharon, who is the only immediate family of Joe's after his dad passed away four years ago.
The summer Joseph should have been surfing in Cornwall with his family as they have done every year.
But this year the family will be reuniting in honour of Joseph and trying to raise money for his rehabilitation.
Sally said: “We are just so unsure of Joe's future and the consultants can't really tell us anything at the moment apart from that it's going to be an incredibly long journey.
“So anything we can do to support him in his recovery and rehabilitation we will do. We are also trying to create awareness of TBI(traumatic brain injury)."
Four of Joseph's family members are embarking on a cycle from Nottingham to Treyarnon Bay, near Padstow - with some of the others joining in for snippets along the way to raise money for the cause.
Sally added: “What we do every year and have done for generation is come to Cornwall on the same trip to come and surf and its always become a bit of a haven for everyone.
"It was Joseph's favourite place and this year is the first year in Joseph’s life that he’s not going to be able to go."
The family have also put a platform together so they can share things and experiences with Joseph.
Sally added: “We have all felt really helpless and haven't been able to do anything so that's why we have put together Joseph's Journey.
"As a family, and Joe’s friends we are all clearly devastated. Some of his friends were even out with him when it happened."
For more information about Joseph's Journey click here. You can donate here.
