There came a point when Jeremy Anderson wondered if he’d ever exchange a loving glance with his son again.
But after several days in a coma, 12-year-old Parker suddenly opened his eyes Wednesday morning, blearily scanned his surroundings and called out for his father.
“He asked for a hug,” his dad told The Citizen. “I gave him a hug. He asked his sister what happened, and she told him he had an accident. He told us he was sorry.”
The Creeks Outlaws youth football player from Fruit Cove was able to move his arms and legs and recognize his family members — hopeful signs that point toward a promising recovery, his father said.
“Everything is working beautifully for now,” Jeremy remarked.
While Parker has been able to speak in short phrases, he has yet to form full sentences. Physicians told Jeremy, 50, they won’t be able to assess the full extent of his injuries until he regains consciousness for a sustained period.
“He sat up in bed, but he hasn’t tried to walk yet,” Jeremy said. “Right now, it’s baby steps.”
‘He Stopped Breathing’
The middle schooler crashed hard into the asphalt Monday evening while riding his e-bike along Race Track Road in Julington Creek Plantation.
He was performing a trick known as “surfing,” with one foot on the handlebars and the other on the seat, his dad told The Citizen.
Bystanders rushed to help, and emergency responders soon arrived, stabilizing the boy on a gurney.
Jeremy, who had just finished shopping at Walmart and spoken to Parker minutes earlier, said his phone suddenly rang with his son’s name flashing across the screen.
A voice on the line introduced himself as a St. Johns County Sheriff’s deputy.
“He told me my son had been in a bicycle accident and was unconscious in the back of the ambulance,” Jeremy said.
The supervisor at a building supply company raced to the scene to join his son in the vehicle. But when he approached, an officer stopped him.
“He told me Parker had stopped breathing,” Jeremy said. “I was just freaking out.”
Two EMTs jumped out of the back of the ambulance, hopped into the front seat and sped off. Parker was then airlifted to Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville.
Jeremy drove to the facility in his truck and was finally allowed to see his son.
“I wasn’t prepared for what I saw,” he said. “Tubes everywhere, the neck brace, his face. I just dropped to my knees.”
He has not left Parker’s side since, sleeping in a chair next to his hospital bed.
E-Bike Safety and a Father’s Message to Parents
Jeremy confirmed that Parker was attempting a trick when the crash happened, and was not wearing his helmet.
“If he had been wearing it like I told him 850 times, we might not be in this situation right now,” he said. “These bikes come with seats for a reason — not to stand on or kneel on.”
Jeremy understands the temptation.
“I was a boy once. I did crazy stuff on bikes, too. But kids don’t always think about consequences.”
Parker’s e-bike, a Tamobyke model purchased on Amazon, can reach speeds of up to 25 miles per hour.
“My message is drill it into your kids to be safe,” he said. “Wear your helmet. If they need elbow pads, knee pads, wrist guards — get them. Just like skaters do. The gear is there to keep you protected.”
Jeremy added that he is not opposed to e-bikes, only to risky operation.
Community Locks Arms
Jeremy told The Citizen he lost his wife — Parker’s mother — six years ago. Since then, he’s raised his son with help from his daughter Payton, who works as a behavioral technician in St. Johns County.
The community’s response to Parker’s accident has been swift and overwhelming. As of Thursday afternoon, a GoFundMe campaign for Parker’s medical expenses had raised over $70,000.
“I’ve seen it before — the way this community comes together,” Jeremy said. “But you don’t fully understand it until it’s happening to you and you feel it. It’s just amazing.”
A candlelight vigil organized by Parker’s youth football team, the Creeks Outlaws, will be held this evening at 6 p.m. on the turf fields at Plantation Park.
The St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office will be on hand with its bicycle unit to give a safety presentation on helmet laws and lead a safe ride through the park.
“He’s a good, sweet kid,” Parker’s dad said from his bedside. “We’re just praying he’s going to be okay.”
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