Bellevue Rallies Behind Injured Interlake High School Grad

BELLEVUE, WA — Community support is pouring in after a tragic accident left a Bellevue teenager paralyzed and with mounting medical bills at Harborview Medical Center. On just the first day of fundraising, a GoFundMe page to support Yuta Fukazawa's recovery easily met its initial $50,000 goal.

According to the fundraiser's organizer, Fukazawa suffered a severe neck injury while playing basketball with friends, just a few weeks after graduating from Interlake High School. He remains in intensive care at Harborview.

"Yuta and his family face a long and challenging road ahead," the fundraising page reads. "He has a short window of time to get advanced treatment at a specialized medical center that will require him to get medical support flights where he can be on a ventilator. He has to put his college plans for the Fall on hold, but he and his family are determined that he get the help he needs so that eventually he can still pursue his passion to be a doctor."

Anyone who would like to pitch in to help the Fukazawa family can donate via GoFundMe.

Editor's Note: GoFundMe is a Patch promotional partner.