The family of four-year-old boy struck and severely injured by a motorcycle in May says the boy will be able to walk, run and play soccer again, but the road to recovery is still long.
On May 26, Radiul “Radi” Chowdhury was walking with family in the area of Victoria Park Avenue and Adair Road at around 1:30 p.m. when the four-year-old boy went onto the roadway and was struck by a northbound motorcycle.
He was immediately rushed to the intensive care unit at Sick Kids Hospital where doctors told his family that he had broken both his legs, an arm, his nose and suffered a brain injury.
At the time, Paramedics called little Radi’s injuries life-threatening.
His family says he is now able to open his eyes and move his arms and legs.
“That’s why I can smile a little bit right now,” his father Ruhul told CTV News Toronto Saturday. “Because I see the improvement every day.”
His sister Suha says she can’t wait to play with her brother again.
“I want to play ring around the Rosie with him and play hide and seek with him and go outside if it’s a good day.”
After the collision occurred, Ruhul’s employer MLSE auctioned off two pairs of tickets to the NBA Finals games, with the proceeds going to help Radi’s recovery.
Numerous others in his community and across the city also contributed to Radi’s recovery.
“This is giving us full hope for his full recovery, we are hoping he will get (to a) full recovery,” Ruhul said.
Radi’s brain injury continues to heal.
Ruhul says that the doctors have told him that if Radi’s progress remains the same, he will one day be able to play sports like he used to.
“It should not be any problem with walking, running. I was asking like is he going to be able to play soccer, and they were saying ‘yeah, of course,” Ruhul said.
Radi may be able to enter a rehab program at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital in East York as soon as next week.
Police told CP24 at the time that the motorcyclist who allegedly struck Radi stopped briefly and a female passenger got off the bike. She fled the area on foot and the motorcyclist then took off, officers said.
Both were arrested and charged in the days after the collision.
The charges laid against them have not been proven in court.
— With files from Sean Leathong