'Devastating': Jemil Evans Still Unable To Breath On His Own

WOBURN, MA — The Woburn teen who was shot in the neck remains unable to breath on his own, his cousin said.

Jemil Evans, 19 of Woburn, was shot June 12 in what police and his family have both called an accident.

He is still in critical condition in surgical intensive care and will likely be there for multiple weeks, his cousin Rebecca Evans Andrade said.

Evans has woken up and expressed himself, but cannot talk, because he has a tracheotomy to allow him to breath. He is expected to be permanently paralyzed from the neck down.

"We continue to pray that he can breath on his own and maybe have the use of an arm for a wheelchair," Andrade said. "That's our greatest hope and prayer for him, in the long run."

Andrade described seeing Evans and other family members over Memorial Day weekend.

"There were lots of hugs. No one had seen each other," Andrade said. "How can we go from him playing with the little cousins, and we're all joking around, to what the prognosis is now.

"It's devastating and heartbreaking."

Evans had just returned from spending time with his dad in Maine when he was shot, Andrade said, and had made a decision to go to trade school.

"He's someone who's very good with his hands. He's a recent grad, he had spent some time figuring out, and that was his plan," Andrade said. "I joked with him that I can't wait—I have plenty of projects for him to do."

Andrade praised the work of everyone at Lahey Hospital, including providing comfort, and the support they have gotten from the community. Woburn Mayor Scott Galvin reached out to the family personally, while a local Elks Lodge has planned a fall fundraiser for Evans.

The GoFundMe Andrade set up has raised $22,888 of the $25,000 goal, although Evans' care will likely end up costing more.

"His care is going to be expensive. The list is pretty staggering right now," Andrade said. "Our hope is that he can operate a wheelchair one day. Those wheelchairs can be astronomically expensive. We want to continue the fundraising effort, so when the need comes to make a withdrawal."

But above all, the family wants people to pray for Evans and his care team, and to know him, Andrade said.

"He is a smart, funny kid," she said. "He really has a gentle soul. Kind, helpful. He would do anything he could do for someone else."

While Evans was up in Maine, he came home every weekend to see his mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Nana G, Andrade said.

"He would always make sure his Nana G had everything she needed," Andrade said. "He would give her a big hug and a kiss and make sure she was taken care of. That's just the kind of kid he is.

"Our hope is that we can all continue to share that and enjoy those moments with him again."

Christopher Huffaker can be reached at 412-265-8353 or chris.huffaker@patch.com.