WARNING: This story contains graphic and disturbing photos and details.
The Edmonton mother of a 14-year-old boy – brutally assaulted in an attack that shocked people across the province – spoke to the media for the first time about what happened Tuesday and said she and her son “just keep moving forward” now that he is recovering at home.
Braydon Heather was released from hospital late last month although he continues to face a long road to recovery.
“He’s doing well physically, although he still needs help dressing and sometimes feeding but that depends on how tired he is, ” Amberleah Heather said of her son. “When it comes to the brain, they don’t really say too much anymore about what recovery could be like because it’s very different for every person depending on the severity of the brain injury.”
“He doesn’t remember the incident at all which is OK by me right now,” Amberleah added.
RCMP said officers found the teen on June 21 near a construction site in Beaumont. They said he suffered serious head injuries and because they were unable to identify him, called on the public for help.
A youth was later arrested and charged in connection with the attack and is charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault.
The person cannot be named as per rules surrounding the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
READ MORE: Youth charged with attempted murder after teen’s assault in Beaumont
“The neuropsychologist said about 99 per cent of people will not remember the incident of what happened to them,” Amberleah said when asked if Braydon remembers anything about the attack, adding he doesn’t ask a lot of questions about it but that she tells him what he wants to know.
“I tell him whatever he asks me. I just tell him the truth…obviously you can’t hide anything, we can’t lie about anything.”
A spokesperson for the Heathers said his attacker(s) cut his mouth “like The Joker,” damaging a vein by his left ear and which caused him to lose his earlobe. They also said he received hundreds of stitches on his hands and arms and that his left thumb had to be “re-attached.” The attack also left him with brain and spinal injuries as well as a broken elbow, left wrist and jaw. They also said the muscles and nerves around one of his eyes were severely damaged.
“He’s going to look in the mirror and see it every day,” Amberleah said. “He’s going to look at his hand and see it very day and know something happened to him and he can’t do anything about it.”
“I think every day he thinks a little bit about it (the attack) but not to the extent where it wrecks his day,” she added.
READ MORE: Teen brutally beaten in Beaumont, Alta. ‘has no recollection of attack’
According to Amberleah, the first two weeks Braydon spent in a coma in hospital, she just did “what you need to do to survive” and that it was only when things slowed down that she actually reflected on just what had happened.
“We just concentrate on every day moving forward,” Amberleah said, adding that despite his head injuries, he’s still much like he was before.
“He’s coming back slowly,” she said. “He’s got the same sense of humor- things are really good in that area.”
Amberleah said Braydon is receiving counselling and working with a neuropsychologist in addition to working on his physical recovery with an occupational therapist. She said physically, her son is expected to make a “90 per cent” recovery.
“It’s a day-at-a-time kind of thing,” she said, adding that he still needs lots of rest and occasionally needs help eating and dressing.
Although Braydon still needs to make daily visits to the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital, Amberleah said he’s had visits with friends since he’s been home and is grateful to be able to sleep in his own bed.
Amberleah continues to post regularly on a Facebook page allowing people to follow her son’s recovery and said on a couple of occasions she’s been out in public with her son, he’s been recognized and people told him they were wishing him well.
“I don’t think he understands quite the magnitude of it yet,” she said of the public’s interest in what happened to her son and in his recovery.
-With files from Laurel Gregory, Global News
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