Fairfield boy struck by pickup, remains in hospital

FAIRFIELD – A Fairfield boy was seriously injured when he was struck by a pickup truck while riding his bicycle.

A news release from the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office indicated that a juvenile was attempting to cross Pleasant Plain Road northeast of Fairfield just before 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 24 when he was hit by a pickup truck. The juvenile was transported to the Jefferson County Health Center and then taken by MedForce helicopter to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City.

Though the news release named neither the juvenile nor the driver of the pickup, a friend of the juvenile’s family posted a GoFundMe to raise money for him, 11-year-old Desmond Doddema. Virginia Van Auken, creator of the GoFundMe, wrote that Desmond’s mother Jennifer Lamothe-Doddema has been living at the hospital with her infant to be by Desmond’s side as he undergoes multiple surgeries.

“Desmond’s grandma and grandpa, Siggi and Stan Lamothe, are helping care for another one of Desmond’s siblings at this time. This traumatic event has brought unimaginable hardship,” Van Auken wrote. “It will take time for the full picture to be known and before this beloved local family is able to pick up the pieces. Desmond is in rough shape and will need to be in the hospital and then rehab for many weeks as he heals.”

In an update posted Monday, Sept. 29, Van Auken wrote that Desmond was still struggling with pain from his broken pelvis and broken arm, and that he was scheduled to undergo surgery on his arm that morning. The following day, Van Auken posted that the arm surgery went well, and that Desmond was able to sit up in a wheelchair for the first time. Van Auken said that another friend of the family, Annalisa Fredrickson, has been very helpful behind the scenes aiding the family in every way she can.

As of Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 30, the GoFundMe had raised $10,722 from 124 donations.

Van Auken said she’s been friends with Desmond’s mother Jennifer for nearly 30 years going back to when they were in middle school together. Van Auken has a son just a little younger than Desmond, Casimir, and the two boys have become good friends. Lately, the two moms have enjoyed biking together on weekly gravel rides. She said it’s been great to see Desmond’s progression on his bicycle during the past few years as he’s become more independent.

“The biking has brought us together, and we were all wowed by how quickly Desmond has come along,” she said.

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com