A 13-year-old boy from Ohio is home and playing piano again after a hit-and-run left him fighting for his life with brain bleeds and jaw fractures.
A Normal Day That Changed Everything
On April 10, Richard Alexander Medina, his family calls him Alex, was riding his bike near Lefferson Park in Middletown. He was just going to get something to drink. A parent of one of his friends saw it happen. They turned around and watched the teen go flying and a car take off.
Just gone. The driver didn’t stop didn’t check on this child. Just left him there.
The Search for the Driver
A witness got a look at the car and police were able to track down the driver. 35-year-old Thomas Harris was arrested and charged with aggravated vehicular assault, OVI which was his second offense within 10 years, and fleeing the scene. So this man got behind the wheel impaired hit a 13-year-old boy and drove away. That is hard to even process.
Fighting for His Life
Alex was rushed to Atrium Medical Center and then airlifted to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. When his mother Elsie Thomas got to the hospital her son was intubated. Multiple brain bleeds. Fractures in his jaw. This is every parent’s worst nightmare and she was living it.
“For a moment we almost thought we were going to lose him and God did his work, he kept him here with us, which I’m blessed, because no parent should have to bury their child,” said Thomas.
And she’s right. No parent should ever have to face that. But God wasn’t done with Alex.
Coming Home
A little over two weeks later Alex walked into Stratford Heights Church of God in Middletown and the place was full. Family, friends, teachers. They all showed up for this kid. And what did he do? He sat down at the piano and started playing.
This boy plays four instruments and taught himself two of them. Even after everything his body went through his fingers found the keys again.
“Still know how to play fast, yeah, it’s impressive that I still know how,” said Medina.
I mean come on. That right there is God showing off.
His mother could barely contain herself. “It’s the happiest moment of my life, besides when he was born,” said Thomas. “Losing him is not an option, it’s not an option.”
Pastor Brian Little put it the way we’re all thinking: “He’s a true walking miracle.”
The Road Ahead
Alex still has a long way to go. His family says the next steps are physical therapy and speech therapy as he continues to recover. But his community has wrapped around this family in a way that matters.
“To just tell everyone how we’re happy with all they did, teachers, family, they all came together,” said Thomas.
God Is Still in the Miracle Business
So here’s what we take from this. A boy gets hit by a car and thrown from his bike. He has brain bleeds and broken bones. Doctors are fighting to save him. And two weeks later he’s sitting at a piano playing songs for a room full of people who love him. That’s not luck. That’s not medicine alone. That is the hand of God.
We serve a God who still does the impossible. He still shows up in hospital rooms and He still brings our loved ones home.
If you’re going through something right now that feels hopeless remember Alex. Remember that God kept him here.
Please keep this young man and his family in your prayers as he walks through recovery because God’s not finished with his story yet.
WATCH: 13-Year-Old Boy Left Fighting for His Life After Hit-and-Run Makes a Miraculous Recovery
