Mother holds vigil by son’s side after near-fatal crash in Windermere, 5 weeks in ICU

Florida teen’s family finds hope after nearly five weeks in ICU following crash

Nearly five weeks after a devastating car crash left a teenage boy in the ICU with a traumatic brain injury, his mother says a string of small miracles has given her family new hope.

WINDERMERE, Fla. - Nearly five weeks after a devastating car crash left a teenage boy in the ICU with a traumatic brain injury, his mother says a string of small miracles has given her family new hope.

What we know:

Cristian Allen was ejected from a vehicle during a crash in Windermere on June 14, around 11 p.m. He was not wearing a seatbelt and suffered a fractured spine and a severe brain injury known as a Grade 3 Diffuse Axonal Injury (DAI). 

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He has remained in the ICU since the crash and is now showing signs of recovery.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear what caused the crash. Details about Cristian’s long-term prognosis and expected rehabilitation duration have not been released.

A Windermere teen critically injured in a car crash is now showing signs of improvement.

What they're saying:

The crash sparked a life-altering journey for Cristian’s mother, Kimen Allen, who has spent nearly five weeks in the ICU by his side. Doctors initially believed his injuries were "unsurvivable," offering little hope in the early days following the accident.

"When they called and said, ‘Go straight to ICU,’ my heart went to the worst possible scenario," said Kimen Allen.

Allen said she was told there was likely nothing they could do. After a series of CT scans and neurological tests, a pressure test showed improvement. 

"Clearly, he is a fighter, more so than I ever knew," she said.

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Soon after, Cristian began showing signs of progress: first better test results, then wiggling toes, squeezed hands — and eventually, a smile.

"It just gave us hope that we didn’t have up until that moment," Kimen said. "Since then, it’s just been one miracle after another."

With steady progress, Christian is expected to be transferred to a rehabilitation center in the coming days.

"I never want anyone to go through this," Allen said. "But I hope they can all feel the love that we feel right now."

How You Can Help:

A GoFundMe account had been established to assist in Christian's recovery and medical bills. You can find more information HERE.