Severely Injured Teen May Be Discharged From Rehab, Parents Upset
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- A Washington County teenager, who nearly died last October in a head-on crash, is expected to be released from a Children's Hospital rehab center Thursday.
Bob Meerdo says Highmark Blue Cross informed him that Highmark doctors believe his 15-year-old son, Keaton, can go home and come back to Pittsburgh three times a week for continued rehab.
Keaton now has rehab six times a week, but doctors feel his full time stay at the facility is not necessary.
Meerdo says he and his wife think their son should stay in the rehab facility for now because he's showing steady, slow improvement and Meerdo says his home in North Franklin Township is not handicap accessible.
"I was pretty furious," Meerdo said. "I'm like, what do you expect me to do? I can't take him home, it's not ready and they're like, well you're going to have to find somewhere else for him to go."
Meerdo says a lot of work has to be done to renovate the house and he's currently using donations to do some upgrades.
He estimates the price tag of the renovations at about $70,000.
"It's a lot of work," Meerdo said.
The family is trying to raise money for Keaton at GoFundMe.com.
The teen is in a wheelchair, has a tracheotomy and a feeding tube, and he communicates using his fingers and hands.
A Highmark official said late Tuesday that the insurance company would look into this case.
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