Family of Deshler student severely injured at school last week provides update on his recovery

TUSCUMBIA, Ala. (WHNT) — The family of August Borden, the Deshler High School student severely injured last week at school, has provided an update on his recovery.

“August is still having headaches with blurred vision and still exhausted and sleeps most of the Day.  We’ve asked daily if he has any recollection of the events that occurred on Aug 19th. But he just can’t remember. Maybe time will tell but until that occurs, we are dependent on the Lt. Roger Mitchell to do his job and are waiting desperately for answers,” Drew Van Devender said.

Since the incident, August’s family has asked for answers about what happened that day.

“We just want transparency. I think that’s fair. Just let us know what happened. If it was intentional, if it wasn’t intentional, just let us know the whole story, and that way we can move on. And those who are accountable can take accountability,” Drew Van Devender said.

After being called to the school on August 19, Kristen Van Devender said she was escorted by a policeman to the ambulance where August was inside. Moments after seeing him, Kristen Van Devender was informed that August would need to be airlifted to Birmingham, but she still didn’t know what had happened.

“I had no clue. I had no idea. I was informed of nothing. I just knew that there was an accident and my child was in an ambulance. And no one gave me anything, besides maybe when I got in there, there may have been some horseplay, and August had taken a bad fall,” Kristen Van Devender said.

After two days being unconscious in the hospital, August is home and recovering. An active investigation as to what happened is underway.

Tuscumbia Police Chief Tony Logan told News 19 that he and his team of investigators are in the process of interviewing students and adults who were there before the incident occurred.

“One of the key things is we have not been able to talk to the student yet because he has been… in the hospital, or under the influence of medication while he’s healing. So once we can interview him, then that will help us on this investigation,” Logan said.

Logan also said, once they are done with the investigation, there’s a chance that he may turn it over to the Colbert County Sheriff’s Office for an extra pair of eyes.

In a message sent to parents on Wednesday, August 27, the Tuscumbia City Schools superintendent shared more details about