His Brother’s Keeper Now

Juan Reyes had to grow up fast after a car accident in September took the life of his mother, leaving him as the sole caretaker of a 10-year-old brother who suffers from Down syndrome and was seriously hurt in the crash.

The 18-year-old Placentia man promised his younger brother Elfego that they would stay together no matter what. In the last two months, Elfego has endured several surgeries that resulted in the loss of his left arm and part of his colon. But Reyes hasn’t wavered in his commitment.

“If his mom would have been here--she wouldn’t leave him,” he said Friday, at his brother’s bedside at UCI Medical Center in Orange. “I’m lucky to have him. I would feel so lonely without him . . . At least I still have my brother.”

Elfego’s injuries were so severe that doctors at first doubted the boy would live. “He essentially beat the odds,” said Dr. Mehrdad Jalili, Elfego’s physician.

For more than a month, Elfego was kept in the intensive care unit, hooked up to a breathing machine. He was recently transferred to a room in the pediatrics unit.

Doctors are optimistic that Elfego will make a full recovery. When the boy leaves the hospital, he is expected to stay in a rehabilitation center, where he will receive additional therapy and learn how to use a prosthetic arm.

During his hospital therapy on Friday, Elfego smiled broadly as his brother held his hand and soothed him while a physical therapist stretched his heavy legs to build strength.

After about five weeks in bed, it will take about a month before Elfego will regain the use of his legs and walk again, physical therapist Sharon Bang said.

The ultimate plan for the brothers is to get their own apartment and go to school. Reyes wants to attend college, and Elfego would return to elementary school.

In the weeks since the Sept. 20 accident, Reyes has spent days and nights at the hospital, reassuring his brother.

“He feels safe [with me here],” said Reyes.

Elfego, and his mother, Micaela, 51, were being driven by a friend to Sunday church services when the car hit the wall of the family’s Placentia apartment complex.

The crash has changed the lives of both brothers.

Juan Reyes said he misses hanging out with his friends, going to parties and meeting girls. Since the accident, he has been unable to attend classes at El Camino Real High School. He has been living with an aunt and receiving guidance from Elfego’s social worker.

“Everything has happened so fast,” Reyes said.

He said his new life is sometimes overwhelming: He’s had to take care of the burial arrangements for his mother in Mexico and figure out where and how he and his brother will live.

“But I’ve got responsibilities now,” Reyes said.

* The Associates, a philanthropic group at UCI Medical Center, raised about $20,000 for the boys. Juan Reyes’ school has raised about $13,500. Donations are still being accepted by the school and may be sent to the Juan Reyes Fund, 1351 E. Orangethorpe Ave., Placentia, CA 92870.