TRINITY, Fla. — Nico Cirigliano’s day started getting wheeled out of a Jacksonville rehab center.
He’d been there for weeks recovering after being hit by a pickup truck on May 12.
He and his friends were out in the Aripeka area for a day of hiking when he was hit crossing the road.
“I don’t really remember it still. It sounds like I’m glad I don’t remember it,” Cirigliano said.
His mom said she knew how serious it was when doctors wouldn’t let her see her son in the emergency room.
“About 45 minutes went by, then two doctors came and told us the situation and the severity of his injuries. And all of that,” said Kristen Cirigliano.
Those injuries included a fractured skull, shattered pelvis and femur, and a punctured lung.
He has more surgeries to come, but Cirigliano is finally back home.
And many from his Trinity neighborhood came to welcome him back.
It was extra special because doctors didn’t give him much of a chance of pulling through.
“It’s truly a miracle because of people like this, honestly. Our community totally rallied around us. And around him and lifted us up and got us through it,” Kristen said.
When he was gone, Cirigliano missed his graduation from Mitchell High School.
But his big sister, Julia, stepped in and brought a cardboard picture of him across the stage.
“When we were in the hospital watching that, it was a really emotional moment for him and for me,” Kristen said.
Cirigliano’s college plans are on hold for now. He said his main goal is to walk again and reconnect with those who he missed so much.
“I’m just really happy to be around them again. Around my community, which I adore. I’m speechless about the support and everything. It’s amazing,” Cirigliano said.
There is a GoFundMe page set up to help with Cirigliano’s medical expenses.
