A typical day for a Spring Hill teen turned tragic. On the first of April seventeen year old Alexis Eukitis was the passenger in a golf cart accident that left her debilitated and changed the course of a Spring Hill family’s life.
It was a usual afternoon when Alexis and her boyfriend, Austin Morrison, decided to take a new golf cart for a short test drive in the Shady Hills community of Spring Hill. Unbeknownst to them, that ride would land Alexis in the Trauma unit at Bayonet Point Regional Medical Center. The throttle stuck on the golf cart and the pair crashed into a fence throwing Alexis several feet from the vehicle onto her back. She suffered crushed vertebrae with compression on her spinal cord, a fractured neck, broken ribs and a fractured femur. She was immediately transported via ambulance to the trauma center where a neurologist found that the injuries had left Alexis a paraplegic. Boyfriend, Austin suffered a hyperextended knee.
Alexis was born with a genetic bone disorder, Osteogenesis Imperfecta commonly known as brittle bone syndrome. The disease causes weak and brittle bones due to a deficiency in effective collagen production which causes bones to fracture and break easily. Because of the disorder, she has suffered chronic bone breaks and fractures all her life. The effects of the accident on Alexis’ already weak frame proved to be tragic.
The driver of the golf cart, Austin Morrison immediately called 911 following the crash and contacted Alexis’ mother who arrived at the scene within moments. “Initially I thought she had just fractured her leg again and I had no idea how bad it was” said her mother, Jennifer Eukitis. Alexis, who remained conscious throughout the whole ordeal said “I remember seeing that we were going to hit the fence and the next thing I knew I was looking at the clouds and trees, lying on my back.” She says she felt no pain at all until she was rolled over by paramedics to be placed on the gurney. At the hospital the neurologist on duty delivered the bleak news that the seventeen year old was paralysed from her multiple injuries. Alexis spent a week undergoing trauma treatment and was then transferred to Brooks Rehab in Jacksonville for one month. Her mother, Jennifer moved into Alexis’ room at the rehab and remained by her daughter’s side throughout.
Alexis is now home as an outpatient for Brooks Rehab and is cared for by her mother along with the help from close friends and family. Treatment for her injuries included a rod placed within her femur and four fused vertebrae in her neck and daily occupational and physical therapy.
The family has suffered emotional, physical, and financial hardship due to the tragedy. Alexis’ father, Tom Eukitis “has been working crazy hours in order to make up for extra expenses” said Jennifer who was able to use her vacation time as well as twelve weeks of family medical leave from her job to care for her daughter. “I don’t know what will happen once the medical leave is up” said Jennifer. A relative set up a GoFundMe account on the family’s behalf which has raised over $4000 to date, a big blessing to a family facing hard times. The account shows Alexis’ journey through rehab and can be accessed at http://www.gofundme.com/LEXISTRONG.
Bringing Alexis home meant remodeling their home to accommodate for a wheelchair and equipment. All the carpet had to be replaced with hard flooring, a concrete slab and metal ramp were added, and the bathroom had to be redesigned for handicap accessibility.
Considering the severity of the prognosis, medical staff has not told Alexis that she will never walk again, they have only said they are unsure what the final outcome will be. Alexis remains very optimistic and insists that she will most certainly walk again one day. “It’s not going to be easy and I’m not independant right now but I know I will become stonger. My goal is to return to my life before. I want to go outside and go fishing with Austin and do everyday things” said Alexis. However, the extensive care she is receiving to help her reach her goal is not covered entirely by insurance. It is not cheap and at some point may not be covered at all according to her family.
Contributions toward the cause of any denomination are greatly appreciated by the family and can be made at www.gofundme.com/LEXISTRONG.