“As the photos show, it is nothing short of a miracle that he survived,” said Katrina Cook, the mother of injured Jaylen Cook

A mother in Australia is recalling the “frightening” moment when her adult son was involved in a wrong-way crash while driving to a hospital to visit his weeks-old baby, who was born with a rare birth defect.

Katrina Cook shared details of the Feb. 22 accident on a GoFundMe page, which she set up for her injured son, Jaylen Cook, and his family to help with medical expenses and to replace his damaged vehicle.

“Jaylen was driving back to Ronald McDonald House in Brisbane after completing a 12-hour night shift in Tweed Heads,” Katrina wrote, adding that Jaylen and his partner, Mikayla, are staying there while their daughter, Madeline, undergoes surgeries and stays in a NICU at a nearby hospital.

Katrina explained that another driver was allegedly traveling at over 60 mph in the wrong direction when that driver’s car collided head-on with Jaylen’s “ute” (utility vehicle), which she said has sentimental value.

“As the photos show, it is nothing short of a miracle that he survived. Jaylen sustained head injuries, cuts and significant bruising, and remains in considerable physical pain,” Katrina noted of Jaylen’s injuries.

She added, “The trauma of the accident has also left deep emotional and mental scars. At the time, we did not know whether he would suffer lifelong injuries, and it was an incredibly frightening experience for our family.”

Jalen recalled the crash in an interview with nine.com.au.

“All of a sudden, out of the pitch black, I saw two headlights coming toward me — there wasn’t much time to react,” Jaylen remembered.

His mother emphasized the crash’s “devastating” impact on her son.

“Jaylen is currently unable to work, which has placed significant financial strain on their young family,” Katrina said, providing context for why she launched the GoFundMe. “In addition, his ute — which was a treasured gift from his late father — was completely destroyed.”

She added, “[The car] was not only sentimental, but essential for traveling to and from work and managing daily life while living away from home.”

Source: https://people.com/dad-hit-by-wrong-way-driver-while-heading-to-visit-weeks-old-baby-in-nicu-brisbane-australia-11917871