NATIONAL CITY- Although the doctors no longer give hope of life to the 16-year-old who was shot in the head in National City last week, his family told us that they do not lose faith.
TELEMUNDO 20 spoke this Tuesday with Damien Estrada’s parents regarding the sadness and desperation they feel following the shooting that occurred on July 20.
His parents said that at any moment, the child’s heart might stop beating, but at the same time they do not lose hope that this does not happen.
We are not ready to leave our child. I continue with a lot, a lot of faith that tomorrow he will get up
– father of the minor shot.
The father of the minor had a lump in his throat just thinking that his son’s life would end at 16, since the medical diagnosis is not encouraging.
“They tell us that from the neck up he is not still alive,” added the father.
In other words, the doctors have informed him that he is already brain dead.
The minor was shot in the head last Wednesday, July 20, in National City. And his mother said that there is no consolation at this time, since his son is fighting for his life in a San Diego medical center.
“I feel discouraged,” said Rosa Rodríguez, mother of the shot teenager. “Right now I feel like my heart is breaking but I still have a lot of faith.”
She said that every time she speaks to her son, she feels like he reacts, but doctors told her that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a sign of life.
“Tears come out, he moves his feet and tries to move his fingers, but they tell me that it is only the body that is reacting to the movements of his nerves,” said the mother.
Despite that medical opinion, his family said they hope to see that young man who they were used to seeing happy run once more.
“He likes to play soccer, he liked boxing and he liked the workout,” said the teenager’s mother.
According to her, the minor was a fan of exercising, since one of his dreams was to be a professional player while he would study to be an architect or work in something related to the construction of houses and buildings, but that illusion was paralyzed last Wednesday here in this corner of 16th Street and Euclid Avenue where he was shot.
The family also said they don’t understand why someone would have shot him, according to the mother, in cold blood.
“Damien was in the gym and to go home he went on the bus and when he got off the bus that happened,” the mother said.
The incident, according to his mother, occurred just on the teenager’s first day back to school, who had just started 11th grade at Sweetwater High School.
She said that the young man was happy that following classes he was going to exercise.
“No, no one knows the boys who did that to him,” said the mother, when asked if she knew anything regarding the suspects.
The National City Police are still looking for clues regarding this act of violence and it is unknown who shot him, since they fled the scene.
Damien Estrada’s family ruled out that it was a gang act, since according to them, their son was not involved in such activities.
“He really liked math,” added the mother.
Even his family said that his routine consisted of three things, going to school, going to the gym and then spending the rest of the day with his girlfriend.
“This boy liked everything. Music, cars, sports. He was very active, ”added the mother.
While outside the medical center where the minor is hospitalized, dozens of relatives were seen waiting for him to react and to breathe on his own.
His relatives have been supporting each other for days, and among those loved ones are Damien Estrada’s brothers, who said they miss him very much.
“They fought all the time, but every little while, his little brother was behind him,” said the mother.
She added that what she misses most regarding her hospitalized son is his smile.
“He had a very contagious smile and he was laughing all the time,” he said.
The family added that no matter how complicated his health condition is, they do not lose hope that at any moment the minor will wake up and they will hear his voice once more.
The parents also pointed out that, on any day, the minor might be disconnected from the life support that has kept him alive since the day of the incident, and that this is very likely to happen on Tuesday night.
However, this situation hurts them, since they indicated that they do not want or are prepared to say goodbye so soon.
It is worth mentioning that the family also commented that there are two pages on the Internet where they are asking for donations for medical expenses, but that these are not authorized by the family, so they ask them not to donate, that the only thing they ask for is prayers.
