Ronald and Nancy Reagan are the latest in a string of notables to come to the hospital bedside of David Opont, the 12-year-old boy fighting back from a nightmarish attack by a bully who set him afire.
The Reagans visited the severely burned boy Sunday evening at New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center, just hours after the youth had had a visit from actor Bill Cosby.The outpouring of sympathy and good wishes from around the country, most of it from people he's never met, began after the March 7 attack by a 13-year-old boy from David's neighborhood.
More than 400 cards and letters arrived in a single day, along with an assortment of stuffed animals, posters and baseball caps. He also received numerous gifts, flowers and balloons on his 12th birthday, the day after the brutal attack.
"You not only can have a great feeling for him and his recovery, but down deep there is a resentment that these things can happen," the former president said after spending a few minutes with Opont.
If his recovery goes perfectly, David could be out of the hospital in June. If there are any complications, he could die. His chances of making a full recovery remain only 50-50, doctors said.
A fund set up to cover David's massive medical expenses received between 15,000 and 20,000 donations in five days, said Opont family lawyer Michael Prieto, who is overseeing the contributions. About two dozen local clergy are holding a weeklong prayer vigil at the hospital, where David will probably spend the next 12 weeks.
In addition, skin banks run by the Vietnam Veterans of America and the New York Firefighters Skin Bank have offered to assist the youth.
Diana Goldin, a hospital spokeswoman, said the heavily bandaged boy was delighted with the visit from Cosby.
"David recognized him and was very pleased. He (Cosby) joked around with him," she said.
David's attacker, a 13-year-old whose name is being withheld because of his age, allegedly admitted torching the youth after tying him to a railing inside an abandoned garage. In chilling testimony, Detective George Klingberg quoted the suspect's account of the incident:
"I walked over to him. I lit a match. I held it up to his shirt. His shirt caught on fire, and I got scared and ran off."
Opont originally told relatives he was torched because he refused to smoke crack but no drug charges were filed against the suspect.
Opont moved from Haiti with his sister, Naomi, and was reunited with their father, Luther, who had immigrated in 1981.