The family of an eight-year-old boy paralysed by a stray bullet during a shooting in the American city of Oakland has successfully raised over a million dollars to pay for his ongoing medical care.
In July this year, Asa Luo was hit by a bullet while travelling in his family's car on a motorway in Northern California when gunmen from two separate vehicles accidentally shot a bullet at the Luo family's car.
In a press release from the California Highway Patrol, police said: "Two vehicles shooting at each other as they traveled eastbound on I-580 near Harrison Street.
One of the callers advised that an unrelated vehicle had pulled to the right shoulder near Grand Avenue after being struck by the gunfire.”
According to the fundraising page set up by his parents Melissa and Caesar, members of the Temple Sinai synagogue in the city, the bullet became lodged in their son's spinal column along with fragments of bone, which shattered as the projectile passed through his body.
Asa's parents describe their son as a "soccer enthusiast, math wizard, and devoted brother and friend" whose life has "changed forever."
His current condition is described as "complete paralysis below the neck" and his parents added: "We are profoundly relieved that our boy is alive and very much himself, and we are also starting to understand the vast implications of his new reality.
"Moving forward, Asa will require a mechanical respirator to live, tube feeds for nutrition, and 24-hour, around-the-clock nursing care."
Since the launch of the Gofundme page, over 9,500 people have contributed over $1.2m (£1m) to his ongoing care needs and renovations to allow him to live at home.
The initial goal of the fundraiser, which has now been closed to new donations, was $250,000 (£196,000), and Asa's parents said they were "buoyed by the love and support" of their community and that “the power of this community has given us so much more than financial relief."
They added: “We hope you never know pain like this. At the same time, we hope that you may know (as we now do) the exquisite gift of children’s resilience.”
No one has been arrested in connection with the incident.
