A 14-year-old boy who sustained severe injuries to his head, face, jaw and arms in a brutal assault has taken another step forward towards his recovery.
Braydon Heather was allowed to leave the hospital and go home, his mother said in a post on Facebook.
“The last week has again been an amazing whirlwind,” Amberleah Heather wrote on July 25.
READ MORE: Teen brutally beaten in Beaumont, Alta. ‘has no recollection of attack’
She said her son had pins removed from his left hand, got a very complicated splint, had his feeding tube removed and was told he could still develop an infection in his brain. Still, doctors told them they could go home on Tuesday.
“To the five different teams of doctors, specialists, nurses, students, emergency staff, I am overwhelmed as I spend my last night at the Stollery, where I lay in the parent’s bed beside the son you saved for me,” Heather wrote.
“Without you, I would be lost.”
READ MORE: Teen found brutally beaten in Beaumont wakes from sedation
RCMP said the teen was found at 1:35 a.m. on June 21 with serious head injuries near a construction site in the area of Rideau Crescent. Officers were initially unable to identify him and called on the public for help.
Police later arrested and charged a youth in connection with the assault. The person – who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act – is charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault.
READ MORE: Youth charged with attempted murder after teen’s assault in Beaumont
This week, Braydon’s mother, who consented to her son’s name being released, also shared her gratitude to the person who found Braydon injured and called 911.
“I will be forever grateful and indebted to you and your family for the rest of our lives for finding my son when you did,” Heather wrote.
“I will never be able to hug you enough, say thank you enough.”
Family friends Melanie Aubé and Rhonda Brimacombe-Tricker set up a gofundme page to raise money to help support the family. As of Friday evening, nearly $79,000 had been raised.
Heather started an online petition to have changes made to Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The 14-year-old still has months of rehabilitation, therapy and surgeries ahead of him, his family says.