Bryant's Story

Bryant/victim as he was transferred from the scene of the beating to CMCH hospital by MMR.

Two years ago, then 18-year-old Mt. Pleasant high school senior, Bryant Cingano, stepped into a fight to help a friend and was beaten nearly to death. MMR (ambulance) picked Bryant up from the pavement in front of the Next Door Food Store on south Mission, he was transported to CMCH; it was established that he had a closed head injury and needed to be life-flighted to a trauma center. All flights were grounded due to weather, so Bryant was ventilated and transferred to an ambulance to be transferred to a trauma center.

Bryant started to have trouble while in transport. Per conversations with Dr.'s it appears that the brain started to swell, thus it could have cut off the intabated air way that CMCH had installed into his throat. Per ambulance records, Bryant went into full cardiac arrest while in the ambulance, they diverted to Alma Hospital where the emergency staff Dr.'s took over. Again, per hospital records, the Dr. hit Bryant 9 times with the paddles before the heart started working again. Per conversations with physicians it appears that the damage was already pretty extensive at this point.

Bryant/victim on life support at Sparrow Hospital - he was on life support for the first 6 days - then upgraded to 'critical' condition.

Bryant was in the Intensive Care Neuro-Trauma Center at Sparrow Hospital, Lansing, MI. for one month then transferred to a critical care facility in Greenville, MI. At this point, Bryant's mother was appointed his legal guardian. Bryant's Mom, 3-year-old brother and his grandma Jeri, rented a small home in Greenville, MI. so as to be with Bryant as much as possible and to assist in what they prayed would be a recovery. Meanwhile, Bryant's father, Paul, and 10-year-old brother stayed in California where the father having just started a business of his own, continued to work to get the new business off the ground, while at the same time keeping as normal a home life for their middle son who had to complete his 4th grade school term and was in sports programs. After several months it became apparent that Bryant would be in a facility for a long time and the family needed to get back together.

The family was unable to find any assistance in transporting their son back to California. Wings of Mercy, Angel flights & other such charitable flight sources were unable to help due to the extreme medical needs of the patient. After much searching, then waiting for the air transport to get a return patient (thus lowering the cost), Bryant was transported on September 12, 2006, at a cost to the family in excess of $20,000.

Bryant arrived in San Diego
Thursday, Sept. 14, 2006

At this point, the grandmother returned to Mt. Pleasant, Michigan where she works full time and visits California as often as possible. At the time of the injury, Bryant was too old to receive help from any of the children's foundations or any other child health care services and too young for elder care. After contacting 52 facilities in and around San Diego, California, Bryant's Mom was able to convince a very caring and compassionate head nurse at a county facility to accept Bryant. The reason that Bryant was turned down so many times was due primarily to Bryant's age and because his insurance was Medicaid. Bryant receives the 24 hour-seven day a week basic medical care; however, there is no financial ability to meet his therapy and/or brain stimulation needs.

Bryant's father continues to work daily in his concrete pumping business, but the slow down in the housing market has put a major crimp in this business. As is the case nowadays, this was a two-income family. The mother has been unable to work since Bryant's injury two years ago; she needs to visit her son Bryant daily, while also making sure their other two sons, Zach, now age 12, and Richie, now age 5, are properly loved and cared for.

In order to help meet all these family needs, Bryant's mom, dad and grandmother have lost nearly everything; their home in California of seven years was foreclosed in September, 2007; also a property in Michigan is facing foreclosure. Bryant's family has been renting a home in the same school district so as not to disrupt the younger brothers school routines, but now, even this housing situation has come under threat of eviction. Because of all the emotional and physical support that the Mom & Dad feel was necessary to try and continue to give Bryant and his two younger brothers a stable and caring home, Cheryl, the mom, has not provided the second income since March 25, 2006; meanwhile, due to the situation, expenses have almost doubled. Over the last two years Grandmother, Jeri, her daughter, Cheryl, and son-in-law, Paul, have used and/or sold every asset they have to put toward Bryant's care as well as the growing expenses of the family itself.

Former high school classmate (Nettie Wright) flew out to visit Bryant on his 20th birthday.

The family has hung on for two years, but have finally had to admit that it is impossible to keep up. Cheryl will have to go back to work. Their youngest son is in pre-K this year and will start full time kindergarten in the fall of 2008, Zach will be in Jr. High in the fall, so the family is looking for cheaper housing outside the area where the boys have been raised. It is felt that this timing will disrupt school situations as little as possible, and maybe they can find cheaper housing nearer Bryant. Mom going to work will definitely lessen the time that Bryant will have someone with him.

Throughout this ordeal the family says they've learned a great number of lessons that they're sure others need to know. Most importantly, private foundations are set up with restrictions and guidelines; what we have run into at every turn is that a foundation is not allowed to financially assist individuals or victim's families directly; i.e. it seems money can only be gifted to non-profit agencies that buy equipment, build buildings, pay staff salaries, etc. so as to have the necessary facilities, staff and equipment to care for patients with some kind of insurance or private pay that will allow these facilities to operate.

Over the last two years, the family has yet to find any agency and/or foundation that can financially assist families in a basic situation of need to put food on the table, pay utilities, put gas in the car and a roof over their heads until the immediate crisis has passed. Salvation Army, and other such organizations can assist up to $500 one or two times per year, and we have found that there is a very long waiting line even in their emergency relief category.

A very essential part of what has kept this family going these past two years are all the prayers and quiet good deeds of friends and family, not only from the two communities that these families live in, but from around the country.

Last Updated: 4.07.2008 @ 10:30 P.M.

Grandma Jeri

Mom Cheryl

Brother Zach

BRYANT

Dad Paul

Brother Richie