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Ottawa's Alex Sanghwan still in coma after Miami hit and run

A 22-year-old Ottawa man remains in an induced coma more than a week after he was hit by a car while vacationing with his family in Miami, his mother told CBC News.

University of Ottawa graduate Alexander Sanghwan was trying to hail a taxi after leaving a club with his brother on the morning of March 29 when he was struck from behind, suffering "severe traumatic injury to his brain," his mother Patricia Sanghwan said.

Though doctors at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami are optimistic about his recovery, she said it's too soon to tell what comes next.

"They've not been able to have him alert enough to do a full neurological exam. So, basically, what I'm saying is that we do not know at this point what the starting point will be for rehabilitation," she said.

"We have to wait. We have to be patient. ... He's a smart boy, he's a young boy, he's a strong boy and we're praying that those things can carry him through."

The driver left the scene but a woman was later arrested and charged with leaving the scene of an accident and reckless driving causing serious bodily injury.

His brother Andrew started an online crowdfunding campaign to raise money for the medical costs.

"It's been therapeutic for him," their mother said. "He has to do something. He's a young man, as well, and he was right there at the time and was with his brother — calling 911 and putting him into the ambulance so this is good for him, as well."

The crowdfunding campaign has raised nearly $40,000 so far.

"We're taking so much comfort from all the different kinds of support we're receiving. It's just kind of a testament to who he is. It's really for him and he's a pretty special person," Sanghwan said.

FlyBar on Rideau Street, where Alexander Sanghwan worked, is also planning a fundraiser here in Ottawa.