Update: As Hersch Family Recovers, Help Still Needed

It’s been nearly two weeks now since a Lexington family of four sustained serious injuries stemming from a Dec. 1 accident on I-95 in Walpole, and as the mother and son begin to bounce back, a toddler and father face still procedures still head.

According to a family friend, both 5-year-old Ben and Jana, the mother, are recovering from their injuries and do not expect any further surgery. However, Greg, the father, will require another surgery on his foot next week and Sammy, the 15-month-old, is scheduled for a tracheotomy today at Children’s Hospital and still can’t move his arms, the family friend said in a statement provided to Patch.

“Thank you so much for all the incredible support we have experienced in this difficult time for our family,” the friend wrote on behalf of the Hersch family. “We ask for all your prayers and kind thoughts.”

Editor’s Note: In this report, names, images and personal information are being withheld out of respect for the family.

Beyond thoughts and prayers, the community has come together to help the Hersch family, which lost its only vehicle in the accident and is anticipating a temporary relocation to be with Sammy during physical therapy.

The Children’s Center of Lexington, where Ben is enrolled, sprang into action immediately to provide things like meals, shopping and play dates in the immediate aftermath. And Cambridge Trust Company has pitched in by hosting a fund set up to help cover the family’s escalating expenses.

The Accident and the Injuries

A single-car accident, the crash that has profoundly impacted the Hersch family occurred shortly before 1 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1 on Route 95 in Walpole.

According to reports, the family’s 2007 Honda Accord somehow went off the road on the southbound side of Route 95 in Walpole.

Most severely injured was the toddler, Sammy, who was initially thought to have succumbed to injuries sustained during the crash, but is currently stable and aware of his surroundings, according to the source close to the Hersch family.

His spine was broken and his arms remain paralyzed, the family friend said, but he is in stable condition and expecting a tracheotomy today and lengthy physical therapy that is expected to require a relocation as the required services are unavailable in Boston.

Greg Hersch, the father, is also receiving continued care after sustaining multiple fractures in his leg and arm during the crash. It’s likely he’ll undergo further surgery next week, according to the friend acting as the family’s spokesperson for Patch.

Jana Hersch and the 5-year-old boy sustained injuries in the crash, including broken ribs and a punctured lung for Jana and broken ribs and a broken clavicle for the boy, but they are now recovering and do not anticipate requiring additional procedures.