Getting in and out of his own home is a painful process for Cameron Malatt — and he has no choice but to do it every day.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE | Milwaukee boy fights for recovery after getting hit by unlicensed driver
Court records show Cameron, 13, broke nearly every bone in his legs when an unlicensed and uninsured driver struck him while he was crossing the street on a mini-bike. He spent nearly two months in the hospital.
Now that he's home, daily doctor's appointments mean he's constantly navigating a home that wasn't built for a wheelchair.
Watch: Milwaukee boy in need of wheelchair ramp after serious crash with uninsured driver
The front entrance of the family's rental home sits 12 to 15 feet off the ground.
"The front of the house is too steep," Cameron's father, Daniel Malatt, said. "It's like 12 to 15 feet off the ground, so it's too steep and too high to get around."
That leaves the back staircase — 6 steps — as the only way in. Cameron says it’s a painful climb every time.
"My leg hurts," Cameron said.
"One more, come on," his father urged during one trip. "Last step buddy."
Even on the best days, Cameron’s father Daniel says getting him in and out of the house is an ordeal.
"Sometimes I have to lay him on a blanket in the kitchen and drag him over to the steps and get him down the best we can without a ramp," Daniel said.
Cameron was hit while crossing the street just blocks from home.
"He actually sped up to go past the stop sign," Cameron said.
Police reports show an uninsured and unlicensed driver was to blame. He was charged with two felonies related to the crash.
"He swerved in front of me, and my head went through the window and then," Cameron said. "When my legs got ran over. I kind of don't remember anything after that."
Today, Cameron is left with scars on his face, no top teeth, and several broken bones that will prevent him from walking on his own for at least a year. The mental toll is just as real.
"Most definitely," Cameron said when asked if it's tough not being able to physically get into his own home. "Definitely sad, mad."
Cameron's parents already launched a fundraiser to help pay for the teeth reconstruction surgery that their insurance won't cover. Now they're hoping the community will step up again — this time to help pay for a wheelchair ramp. The cost is $12,000, money the family can't afford and their landlord won't cover.
"You see what we have to go through. That's on a good day. Today was a good day. On a bad day, he's in a lot of pain, or I'm in a lot of pain. This goes a lot worse than that," Daniel said.
If you would like to help Cameron and his family pay for a new ramp so he can get inside his home, they've set up a fundraiser.
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