Milton shooting victim returns home after year of hospitalization

Marlon Martinez-Hernandez was 14, a shy young man who loved math and was planning to spend the summer in France. That dream evaporated last fall when he and his older brother were shot multiple times while sitting in a car outside their Milton home.

Rogelio “Chico” Martinez-Hernandez, 20, died and Marlon was paralyzed from the neck down after one of the bullets lodged in his upper back area in the early hours of Nov. 24.

Marlon underwent a tracheotomy and suffered a stroke shortly after he was hospitalized. Just a little more than a year later, he is finally home.

It won't be easy, though, his mother, Olivia Hernandez, said. His progress has been slow, and now that he has returned to their small, cozy home in Park Royal Apartments, he will need 24-hour treatment from nurses, therapists and support professionals.

“His condition is pretty much the same,” his mother said in Spanish. “He's 100 percent dependent.”

Marlon's doctors were bleak when he was rushed to the hospital last year. They didn't think the boy could survive, Olivia said.

But Marlon has made small steps.

“The doctors said the opposite of what I'm seeing,” she said. She said she just kept telling them, “Do whatever you can and God will do the rest.”

“The experiences at the hospital have been very difficult for me,” she said. “You always hear what you don't want to hear.”

Marlon is unable to talk, but he can communicate by nodding or shaking his head. In the future, if his speech is not recovered, he may be able to communicate through a computer. He needs a respirator to survive, and other medical equipment to help him keep his muscles active.

“He sees you. He's aware of everything,” said Olivia's friend, her pastor, Israel Figueroa. “He's very emotional.”

The Hernandez's small living room looks like a hospital room, Figueroa said, but Marlon seems happy to be back.

While insurance is expected to cover nursing care, it is unclear whether insurance will fully cover the cost of Marlon's equipment. No fundraisers have been planned, but Figueroa said he will let the public know if any financial help is needed for the family.

As Olivia prepares for the holidays and the return of her youngest, she mourns the death of Chico, who neighbors described as a man who could put a smile on anyone's face.

Her two boys – her only children – were total opposites, she said as she sat in front of a handful of photographs of the brothers.

Marlon was always a mama's boy, she said, a quiet young man who loved math and just being at home. He loved school, his mother said, and was preparing for a student exchange program in France.

Chico, who was very protective of his mother and brother, was a sociable athlete with a serious dedication to staying fit.

He went to the gym every day, Olivia said, and as his muscles grew, his mother became his personal glamour photographer.

Olivia's dark brown eyes filled with both sadness and pride as she spoke of her late son's strong personality, his drive to better himself physically and how he was falling deeply in love with a young lady named Angelica Mendez.

“He had a very strong character,” she said.

Olivia laughed as she remembered Chico showing off his biceps and posing for photos, mimicking his pose herself. She laughed when she remembered telling Marlon he was crazy for loving math, and how he got the money for his trip to France from his uncle.

She tried to hold back tears as she remembered the events that changed her life, as well as the outpouring of support she has received from friends, family, neighbors, coworkers and her church.

“The situation has changed not just a small family, but the whole community,” Figueroa said.

“I thank everyone for their support, their prayers,” Olivia said. “Even people I've never met, they've helped so much. Thank you very much to all of you.”

With Marlon's condition stable, Olivia has been able to return to her prayer groups and find support at church. Her employer, Perdue Farms in Georgetown, has been supportive through the process, allowing her to keep her job while she takes leaves of absence.

“Sometimes I try to stop thinking about what happened and try to concentrate on Marlon, try to help him, support him,” she said. “I'd like to learn something good from this experience.”

She stared at the ceiling while trying to communicate what that lesson might be. It's too profound, but there is one thing that Olivia knows she had been shown through all the grief and loss.

“What I really want to learn from this process is to get closer to God, and for Marlon to get closer to God, too,” she said. “God is the only one who has made a miracle for my son.”