by Hugo Medley turns one year old today.
That’s hardly big news in baby news globally — certainly the possible future King of England’s birth and naming (George) dominated both mainstream and social media discussions. But for the Medley family, it’s a significant milestone. And a significant reminder of how far they’ve come since surviving the movie theater massacre that happened a year ago last weekend in Aurora, Colo.
We reported about it here and are giving you an update because Caleb Medley, Hugo’s father, is an aspiring stand-up comedian. Or, at least he was until July 20, 2012, when he was shot in the head and eye during the massacre that killed a dozen other patrons and injured scores more at the midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises. Caleb was in critical condition following the shooting, and spent the remainder of 2012 in the hospital. His wife, Katie, was in the theater that night, too, but survived without major injuries — and gave birth to Hugo a few days later. Family and friends raised money for Caleb to cover both his hospital bills as well as his wife’s, and they maintained a Facebook page to update his recovery and progress.
On June 15, the most recent Facebook post read, in part: “Caleb is continuing with rehab and improves little by little every week. But, due to his injuries, he will never be 100% physically back to normal. Life is challenging, but Caleb and Katie are thankful for the time they can spend with their son Hugo and watch him grow everyday! The strength of this family is unbelievable, and it feeds off your prayers and positive thoughts!”
The Canon City Daily Record, the newspaper west of Pueblo, Colo., caught up with the Medleys more recently, where they had moved to be closer to family.
Katie Medley told the newspaper that Caleb now is considering a career in teaching, although she reported that he still has jokes in his head he’d like to share.
“Just because he’s not walking and talking right now, it doesn’t mean he never will because we fully expect it in the future,” she said. “Brain injuries are just a very, very slow process, but Caleb works hard to get better.”
