Maimed Youth Cheered by Flood of Mail and Gifts

The condition of a 10-year-old boy from Orange, whose aunt has been charged with beating him nearly to death, was upgraded from fair to good Saturday at Children’s Hospital of Orange County.

The boy, who was fitted with a colostomy bag after being rushed to the hospital last week, was in good spirits, buoyed by an avalanche of gifts and cards from well-wishers, said Andrea Pronk, hospital spokeswoman,

“He’s just thrilled with everything,” Pronk said. “He reads the cards first, front and back, then he’ll say something like ‘Oh, cool!’ or ‘I know that person.’ It’s really cheering him up.”

Three Costa Mesa girls, 9, 10 and 11, sent the boy a letter Saturday that read: “Dear 10-year-old, We heard about what happened to you. If we were there we would have helped you. . . . We want you to know we care about you. . . . If you need someone to talk to just write to us.”

The girls gave their addresses and enclosed a Mighty Duck POG, a bubble gum sucker, a piece of gum and $4, Pronk said.

Friday, the day after the boy’s story appeared in local newspapers, 100 people left messages on the hospital’s answering machine, Pronk said. Another 50 had called in by 3 p.m. Saturday. Many wanted to donate to a trust fund set up for the child. Others said they were simply sickened and wanted to do something, Pronk said. Three people have offered to serve as foster parents.

“I’ve been calling all these people back, and every time I talk to one of them I feel like crying,” Pronk said. “They want to do whatever they can to help him. People are saying, ‘We don’t know what to do.’ ”

Hospital workers carefully checked the gifts that continued to pour in Saturday, including a remote-controlled Porsche, a Ninja Turtle art set and a souvenir Nolan Ryan baseball. The boy gave one plastic toy car designed for a much younger child to a hospital worker to give to another boy.

The boy’s biological father visited him Friday, Pronk said. But she did not know if he had been allowed to see his son. Since he was an infant, the boy has lived with his aunt and uncle, Cynthia and Edward Medina. Cynthia Medina has been charged with four felony counts of child abuse and one count of torture in connection with the beating, burning and sodomizing of her nephew.

Pronk said she did not know when the boy would be released from the hospital. Those interested in making a donation to a trust fund set up for the boy can send it to OC Cares Trust Fund, Orange National Bank, P.O. Box 6040, Orange, CA 92667.