An Upper Township teenager is fighting for his life after a terrifying dirt bike accident left him with catastrophic injuries, and his family is struggling to keep up with mounting medical expenses as the community refuses to let them face it alone.
R.J. Phillips was critically injured when his dirt bike collided with a deer on Thursday, June 18. The impact was devastating — Phillips was rushed to a trauma center where doctors discovered multiple brain bleeds, facial injuries severe enough to require plastic surgery, and a fractured arm.
For days, his family watched helplessly as he remained sedated and on a ventilator, uncertain whether he would ever wake up.
Then, on Wednesday, June 24, came a moment his loved ones had been praying for.
Doctors extubated Phillips and stopped the sedation. He opened his eyes — but the road ahead remains long and uncertain.
“He is very confused and agitated,” said Heidi Hartsock, a family friend organizing support efforts. Despite his disorientation, Phillips managed to communicate something that gave everyone around him hope: he said he was hungry and asked for a cheesy roll up.
It was a small moment. But for a family that had been bracing for the worst, it meant everything.
Phillips’ mother, Deborah, has been by his side through it all — which means she has been unable to work. With medical bills already piling up, the financial pressure on the family is growing by the day.
The Upper Township community has stepped up in a powerful way. A fundraiser launched to help cover medical costs and lost income has already surpassed $17,000 as of Thursday, June 25, a sign of just how deeply this teenager is loved.
Phillips still has a long and difficult recovery ahead. His family is asking for continued prayers and support as he fights through what doctors describe as a serious and ongoing medical situation.
Those wishing to help the Phillips family can search for their fundraiser online.
