One of the youngest tornado victims from the April 16 storms that tore through Eastern Carolina is making progress in his recovery.
Evan Salerno was not quite two years old when the storms hit his family's house aboard Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville. Kelsey Salerno says she was about to get Evan out of his crib when the tornado hit their house head on, ripping off the second floor of their house.
Evan came home from the hospital in May, just in time to celebrate his second birthday. He has received physical, speech and occupational therapy. Kelsey happily reports that just two weeks ago Evan started walking again.
"Looking at him now, you would never know something so terrible happened to him just a few months ago," Kelsey said.
The Salerno family is settled in to a new home, and they are grateful for the support from the community.
The toddler from Camp Lejeune severely injured in the April 16th tornado, has been upgraded to fair condition.
Officials at Pitt County Memorial Hospital say 23-month-old Evan Salerno is making improvements after suffering from several broken bones and a collapsed lung. The child is now breathing on his own. He suffered extensive injuries when the tornado ripped off the second story of his home.
Officials at Pitt County Memorial Hospital have listed a toddler injured in Saturday's storms in critical condition, just a day after he was upgraded to serious.
23-month-old Evan Salerno sustained major injuries after the tornado leveled his home at Camp Lejeune.
Although he has been listed in critical condition, officials say that his condition has not worsened. This is despite the news media being told on Wednesday that Evan's condition had improved to serious.
The medical condition of a toddler injured in Saturday's tornado outbreak has improved from critical to serious, according to officials at Pitt County Memorial Hospital in Greenville Wednesday.
Evan Salerno, a 23-month-old whose house was leveled when a tornado hit Camp Lejeune, has several serious injuries, according to a family friend. However, Evan was improving faster than doctors expected.
The youngest injured victim of the deadly storms in Eastern Carolina Saturday could be Evan Salerno, a 23-month-old who lives at Camp Lejeune. His family's house was leveled when a tornado hit Saturday, according to family friend, Jenny Howard of Jacksonville.
For such a tiny body, Evan's injuries are extensive. Howard says he has three fractured ribs, a cracked pelvis, a broken right femur, a fractured arm and a collapsed lung. However, Evan is healing faster than doctors expected, according to Howard.
His mother, Kelsey, was also injured during the storm, but not as severely. Evan's father was at pre-deployment training, but he was rushed back to the area and joined his wife and son at the hospital in Greenville around 4 p.m. Sunday.
As the family focuses on Evan's healing, Howard says she's collecting items to help the family. "They lost everything. Their house is leveled," Howard told WITN. She also says people have responded generously to the call for help for the Salernos. So far, a washer and dryer have been collected, along with living room and bedroom furniture. One item they still need more of--diapers. Howard says Evan wears size 5.
Howard says she's donating any duplicate items given to the Salernos to the USO, so nothing will go to waste. People wishing to donate may contact Jenny Howard in Jacksonville, (832) 922-8956.
In the meantime, the family is looking forward to celebrating Evan's second birthday on May 11.
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