Community rallies for crash victim


  • By
  • | 4:00 a.m. September 8, 2014
Gavin Kitchens, 7, and his brother Kaine, 4, show off the shirts being sold to raise money for their father’s medical bills.
Gavin Kitchens, 7, and his brother Kaine, 4, show off the shirts being sold to raise money for their father’s medical bills.
  • Palm Coast Observer
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An overwhelming amount of supporters came out Saturday night to a benefit held in honor of Flagler Beach resident Shane Kitchens, at the Golden Lion Cafe.

Kitchens, 37, was hit by a motorcycle while crossing A1A early morning Aug. 3. He was critically injured and flown to the Halifax Trauma Center in Daytona Beach, where he has been in treatment since the accident. In the month he has been in the hospital, Kitchens has undergone several surgeries and been moved from intensive care, to critical care and is now working toward recovery on the fifth floor of the trauma tower.

“He’s been hurt in one way or another from head to toe on his right side,” said Judy McNitt, Kitchen’s mother-in-law. “Yesterday was a wonderful day, but today was a bad day. The pain was very severe today. Everything is just starting to catch up.”

The benefit brought together Flagler Beach community members as well as some of Kitchens’ doctors and nurses. More than $4,000 worth of donations was raffled off at the Saturday night event.

“We’ve known the Kitchens and McNitt families for a long time and we’re really happy to be able to support and help out,” said Chris Marlow of the Golden Lion Café. “It’s an amazing thing seeing all the people in the community come together and support an amazing common cause. It’s a miraculous recovery that Shane is making and we’re really happy for him and his family and hope that he continues to improve.”

Although Shane’s wife, Katie, could not be at the event, McNitt said that for her family, the support is more than she could have ever dreamed.

“I’m way beyond words, my love is more than they’ll ever know,” McNitt said. “People have reached out since day one, bringing food to our home, the hospital. People have been so generous. I’ve lived here 36 years and I know I live in a good town, but you don’t realize how good until something like this happens.”

An account for Kitchens has been set up at SunTrust Bank in Flagler Beach under the name Team Kitchens.

 

 

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