THE relatives and close friends of 15-year-old St Thomas crash victim, Michael Jackson, are elated that the teen emerged from a coma last week Tuesday, following a March 5 motor vehicle crash on the Trinity Ville main road in the parish.

Jackson was among four occupants of the vehicle which crashed into a light pole at approximately 3:30 pm. The others were treated at hospital and released.

However, the teen sustained injuries to his head and other parts of his body and was admitted at Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), in dire need of blood.

According to Lasana Turner-Francis, the child’s stepmother, support has been tremendous and people from all walks of life in numerous parishes rushed to donate blood in Michael’s name.

Now, Jackson is breathing independently and speaking for himself — progress which has left the family singing heavenly praises.

“He said ‘Mom’ when he recognised me. Everyone is overwhelmed, including his mother, father and his school. I spoke to his father and his principal to let them know. I am also in dialogue with a couple of his classmates. I told them that he said his first words. His mother dropped everything she was doing and gave out a scream,” Turner-Francis told the Jamaica Observer.

Further, she is convinced that it was divine intervention more than anything else that brought Jackson out of the coma.

“The nation’s prayer brought him back. We got calls nationally and internationally. I just want them to continue to pray for his physical and mental recovery. I remember him saying, ‘Mum, mi waa mek it.’ I told him that, ‘Michael, you have made it already.’

“I want to tell the nation thanks for the prayers and their contribution. Persons in other parishes donated blood for Michael at other blood banks. I remember when I went to the National Chest Hospital and they asked who I was donating blood for. When I told them his name they said, ‘Oh, it’s the celebrity from St Thomas,’ ” she said.

Added Turner-Francis: “I was being treated for hypertension since this happened and now the blood pressure is back to normal. His father is overseas and he was being treated too, for hypertension. He is better now and should be on the island by the end of this week. Thanks be to God things are looking bright.”

Turner-Francis expressed gratitude to the medical staff and other people who have been supportive of the family since the incident occurred.

With regards to the next step, she said Jackson is to have surgery done on one of his legs.

“They are working on his leg now and they are still treating him, because he may have memory loss. He had brain injuries and so forth and they are still working on him to get him back as normal as possible. His mother went down there Monday morning and she called me to say she got another prescription with some screws to go into his leg. We understand it is expensive,” she said.