Fair Lawn community unites to support injured teen, family

In some places, people are left to face personal tragedies alone. 

And then there's Fair Lawn.

After a car accident left Jose Fernandez; his wife, Wendy; and their 16-year-old son, Joe, in intensive care, the Fair Lawn community came together. 

MORE:  Car wash raises money for injured Fair Lawn runner

They organized a GoFundMe page, a car wash and a T-shirt drive to raise money for the family, who were on vacation in the Dominican Republic when the accident occurred. 

There are efforts under way to raise money for their medical treatment and long-term care when they all return home. 

"The whole community poured in money and good wishes," said Kevin Orfe, a history teacher and cross-country coach at Fair Lawn High School.  

The Fernandez family has deep roots in Fair Lawn and is well known around town, he said.  

"Joe is one of our best runners on our cross-country team," said Orfe. "He's a nice, friendly kid who is always smiling." 

Fair Lawn Mayor John Cosgrove said he's not surprised by the outpouring of generosity. He's seen such displays of altruism time and time again through the years, whenever accidents or illnesses strike at the heart of the community. 

"In Fair Lawn, we come together to help our neighbors," he said. "That's what we do." 

The accident turned a planned family celebration into a tragedy.

The family had traveled to the Dominican Republic to celebrate the 60th wedding anniversary of Jose Fernandez's parents. As the Fernandez family was heading to the airport on the return home, a car plowed into them on the highway.

Witnesses reported that the driver of the other car appeared to be on her cellphone as she made an illegal turn, said Joe's cousin, Amanda Ayala .

Wendy's mother, Ana Silvia Burgos, who was sitting in the backseat, was killed on impact.

Wendy, Jose and Joe were rushed to the hospital with serious injuries. Wendy suffered abdominal injuries that were exacerbated by her lupus. Joe suffered spinal injuries, and remained in a coma for 10 days. Between the three of them, they underwent 10 surgeries, said Ayala.

Burgos' funeral and burial took place while they were in the hospital, completely unaware of what had transpired. 

"There were a lot of tears," said Orfe, about the students' reaction to the news. Then the kids decided to do something positive."

They organized a car wash Saturday that raised $1,500 for the family. Now they are selling T-shirts, complete with Joe's Number (2) and motto, "Playoff Mentality."  

Medical costs were higher than normal because the incident occurred internationally. The deductible for the insurance was $21,000, and transport to the U.S. by air ambulance will run about $60,000, said Ayala. 

"We still don't know what the costs will be for their ongoing care, so we are hoping that whatever funds remain will be enough to keep them going after they are discharged," she said. As of Thursday, the GoFundMe page had raised about $81,000. 

Jose was recently discharged from the hospital, and Wendy was airlifted back to the United States, where she is in an intensive care unit at an undisclosed hospital.

Joe, who has been in and out of the intensive care unit, recently caught pneumonia and will now need closer monitoring, said Ayala.  She hopes he will be brought back to America soon. 

"Nobody ever thought something like this could happen," said Samantha Murri, 15, a Fair Lawn High School sophomore who was on the cross-country team with Joe. "Joe is always such a bright spirit to everyone around him, especially to kids on the basketball team and the cross-country team. He always keeps everyone's spirits up."  

Track practice is not the same anymore, she said. "He was a big part of the team." The kids are not smiling and laughing as much. And now when the kids break, instead of shouting "Go team!" they shout, "Go for Joe."

"Everyone in Fair Lawn has been praying for him and keeping him in our thoughts," she said. 

Jon Marcus, a senior who went running with Joe over the summer, said that everyone who knew Joe liked him. "It made us all want to help his family," he added. "We heard what happened and we immediately wanted to help." 

"When we go running now, it's a lot more quiet. We feel the void without him."