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It has been a month since Steinbach resident Michael Bueckert was struck by a vehicle in front of Southland Church, leaving him in critical condition.
His mother, Karen Elias, has been by his side every day, watching him battle through serious injuries and uncertain progress.
Elias shares that Michael remains unresponsive most of the time.
"He does open his eyes on occasion. He has a hard time following commands, generally doesn't do that very well. From where he was about a week ago, he seems to be regressing a little bit."
Doctors believe there is internal bleeding on the left side of his body, where he was struck, but they have been unable to locate the source.
"We're still doing a lot of scans, a lot of X-rays, a lot of tests. He will be up for more surgeries once he's a little bit more stable to do that."
One of the primary concerns right now is controlling Michael's bleeding and trying to find where it’s coming from.
“He keeps needing more units of blood, and by this point, they said he shouldn't need that," Elias explains.
His pelvis is also a major concern.
"He has what they call an ex-fix on his pelvis to keep it together, which from my understanding has slightly shifted and so his pelvis is expanding again which it shouldn't be."
Doctors are monitoring the extent of his brain injuries, and although his eyes occasionally move, Elias is unsure if he recognizes his family.
"He has brain damage, but to what degree, at this point we don't know. We don’t know if he really knows who we are. We'll call his name, we'll kind of tap him on the shoulder, call his name, but he doesn't generally look at us. He has on occasion turned his eyes, but we don't know if he actually knows who we are."
Michael is no longer medically sedated, but his level of consciousness remains very low.
"He's quite, I'm going to say, hopped up on pain medication, but they have also lowered that or tried to kind of level that out a bit more now. But the brain injury is going to be determined when things are a little bit better to see how bad it is and where we're at."
Recently, he was moved from the surgical intensive care unit to a lower-intensity ICU, where each nurse cares for two patients instead of just one. However, Elias shares concerns about whether the transfer was premature.
"They're not sure that he maybe should have been brought there because he's still needing quite a bit more care than some of the people that are in there."
As difficult as the situation is, Elias finds comfort in knowing her son was trying to help someone.
"Michael has always been the type of person to help people out, whether he was able to in any way or not, he always tried," she says. "It's heartbreaking. It's been difficult, but I know that he's in good hands and there are so many miracles that have already happened, and I know there are more to come, but it absolutely breaks a 'mama heart'."
The Steinbach community continues to rally around Michael and his family. A GoFundMe page remains active for those who wish to help financially. Elias says how much the family's spirits have been lifted by the support.
"The messages, the prayers, just everything. It's been absolutely amazing, and we can't thank everybody enough."
Michael's five-year-old son is also facing a difficult transition.
"He understands probably a bit more than what we imagine he does because he talks about it a lot. He has seen his dad a few times. But it's hard for him every time because Daddy doesn't squeeze his hand. Daddy doesn't answer him. Daddy doesn't look at him."
However, with the support of family, he is adjusting.
"He used to cry every night. But we're trying to make it as light-hearted and easy for him as possible to transition from being at Daddy’s house with Daddy all the time, to now being with Mama and Papa. It’s a transition for him, but he’s doing remarkably well considering."
She adds, “My brother and sister in laws, they have stepped up as well, and they’ve been amazing. We’ve got great family support.”
For those wanting to help, the GoFundMe page for Michael remains open, and prayers and messages of support continue to make a difference for the family as they navigate this challenging time.