RAINBOW — Nearly three months after a Rainbow seventh grader was severely injured in a collision with a trash truck, the tight-knit Vallecitos School community is rallying to help his family as he continues to recover at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego.
Jorge Sandoval, 12, remains in the intensive care unit after suffering leg injuries when he collided with an EDCO garbage truck while riding an e-bike on May 26 along Rainbow Valley Boulevard. Jorge has since undergone multiple surgeries, and doctors continue working to save his legs, according to Natasha Koelkebeck, Vallecitos School’s community schools and Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) coordinator.
Koelkebeck was at the school when she learned of the incident and rushed to the scene, where Jorge was being strapped onto a gurney before being airlifted to the hospital.
“He was conscious, and I said hello to him,” she said. “His dad was holding his hand, and his mom was very upset. Once he was airlifted, I knew the road to recovery was going to be long. The family is going to need a lot of help.”
Koelkebeck, who taught Jorge in fifth grade, said the family has spent nearly every day at Rady Children’s Hospital since the collision occurred.
After the incident, Koelkebeck organized a GoFundMe campaign. The fundraiser has raised more than $5,700 to help the family pay for medical bills, daily transportation between Rainbow and the San Diego hospital, and other expenses.
Friends and classmates have sent Jorge cards, posters and toys while awaiting updates from the family.
“We’re a very small school with only about 200 students, so everybody is really close,” she said. “He was always helping with school events. Whenever you needed him, he was there. He’s just a super good kid with a great heart. School is starting soon, and it’s hard because he wants to be with his friends and begin seventh grade.”
The fundraiser has also drawn support from Rainbow residents, many of whom work in the area’s agricultural nurseries, Koelkebeck said.
“This isn’t an affluent community, and people have given what they can,” Koelkebeck said. “Even if they don’t have a lot, everyone wants to help.”
According to the California Highway Patrol, the collision occurred around 7:42 a.m. May 26 near the 2160 block of Rainbow Valley Boulevard. Investigators said Jorge, who was wearing a helmet and riding a standard e-bike, was believed to be at fault in the collision, but there were no reports he was riding recklessly.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Those wishing to support the Sandoval family can donate through the GoFundMe campaign, “Support Jorge’s Recovery Journey.”
