Teen struck by car suffers severe head trauma. Island Park rallies around him.

The Island Park community is rallying behind resident Mary Olshwitz after her 16-year-old son Joey suffered a traumatic brain injury when he was hit by a car while riding his bike in Long Beach on July 2.

Police said Joey was riding his bike to his friend’s house from his home in Island Park when just before 7:30 p.m. he was struck by a car at the intersection of Long Beach Road and East Beach Street. Doctors said the teenager suffered severe injuries, including a fractured skull, whiplash and multiple head wounds.

The driver remained on the scene following the accident. The event was deemed an accident and no charges were filed

Joey was immediately rushed to Mount Sinai South Nassau but was quickly transferred to Cohen Children’s Medical Center for advanced care.

Mary Olshwitz, 47, who works full-time as a respiratory therapist at Northwell Health-LIJ Valley Stream, has taken a three-month leave of absence from her job to help care for her son. She is also a single mother who attends Molloy University to earn her dual MBA in healthcare administration and marketing. In addition, she has a 14-year-old daughter, Gianna, who is said to be devastated by everything that’s happening.

Doctors told Olshwitz that Joey, who is in a cervical collar due to the severe whiplash, is recovering faster than expected. Despite the severity of his injuries, Joey has shown remarkable progress, including being able to use his phone and passing a speech evaluation test and was discharged from the hospital on Saturday.

Doctors said the teenager, who is a rising junior at Long Beach High School, would require outpatient rehabilitation. Social media has united friends and even community members in an overwhelming outpouring of support for Joey’s path to recovery.

“He doesn’t remember the accident,” Olshwitz, a 12-year resident of Island Park, said. “He doesn’t even remember riding to his friend’s (house). He feels overwhelmed with so much love and support from all, you know, his friends, family and the community. We’re just also thankful and appreciative of all of this.”

Following the accident, Joey’s godmother, Dawn Marie Powers, launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover his extensive medical bills and support his long-term rehabilitation. As of press time, the community has raised $19,333 through 269 donations.

“He’s just a really good all-around person,” Powers said. “Everybody wants their son to be like Joey. The way he respects his sister, his mom, women, and just life, is just incredible. If anybody were to see the video of the accident and see where he’s at right now, it’s a miracle he is alive. What everybody in the community has done, I don’t know if you expected it to spread this much.”

Tragedy also struck the Olshwitz family two years ago, when Joey’s grandmother died after suffering a heart attack during a family visit — which traumatized both Joey and Gianna.

Now, Joey’s accident has galvanized the community to rally behind him.

“They’ve been through a lot,” Powers said. “The goal was that she just didn’t have to worry about any kind of financial hardships that may come their way.”

Tara Byrne, an Island Park school board trustee and a family friend, has also garnered widespread support for Joey. Byrne knows Olshwitz through PTA and Island Park school activities and their community involvement, particularly the Great Stride walks for cystic fibrosis, since both their sons are afflicted with the disease.

Byrne has started a “Take Them a Meal” initiative for Joey’s family following his accident. But, instead of meals, gift card donations have been suggested, offering more flexibility to the family. This would allow the Olshwitz family to cater to their specific needs during her leave of absence from work. In addition, gift cards are more practical due to the family’s inability to cook while spending time at the hospital.

Byrne has provided a list of suggested gift cards, including options for local restaurants, grocery stores and various retailers, covering a range of needs from meals to everyday essentials.

“She’s tired and she’s not working, so, you know, she needs help,” Byrne said. “That’s why I started the meal chain. She’s got a lot going on, but she did say she was so thankful for the community.”

Despite the overwhelming support, Joey’s journey to recovery is just beginning. The donations raised through the GoFundMe are crucial in covering his immediate medical expenses, but the road ahead remains long.

“He’s wearing a cervical collar for six weeks, and he could have potentially broken his neck, so he has a long road ahead,” Joey’s mom said. “If it was any closer to his spine… This was a hard impact. We didn’t even know if he was going to wake up. I feel like my mom was watching over us. He’s such, such a smart kid, and he could do great things in this life. I don’t think he was meant to go anywhere. I thank everyone from the bottom of my heart.”

To contribute, visit the gofundme.com/f/6wg42-support-joeys-journey-to-recovery or takethemameal.com/BFAP647