YADKIN COUNTY, WV (LOOTPRESS) – An 18-year-old Yadkin County teenager remains hospitalized after suffering life-threatening injuries when he was struck by a commercial delivery truck during a cross-country training run earlier this month.
Carl Jenkins was participating in preseason cross-country practice for Forbush High School on June 11 when he was hit by a FedEx delivery truck. He suffered multiple broken bones, severe head trauma, and arrived at the hospital unresponsive. Doctors initially were unsure if he would survive the night.
Nearly two weeks later, Carl remains in the intensive care unit at Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, where doctors continue monitoring his condition and evaluating the extent of his traumatic brain injury.
Despite the severity of his injuries, Carl has begun showing small signs of progress.
“I want him to be able to smile and see his eyes. We’re just not there yet,” his father, Josh Jenkins, said. “But he can do small things like give us a thumbs up. He can open his eyes where I can see part of his pupil, and every day gets a little wider and a little wider. He’s a fighter.”
The Jenkins family said the driver of the FedEx truck was not at fault in the crash and will not face charges. They have also asked the community to keep the driver in their prayers.
Josh Jenkins described Carl as his “best buddy” and said his son’s determination has defined his entire life.
Carl was adopted through North Carolina’s foster care system along with his three siblings after experiencing severe neglect early in life. He has been diagnosed with microcephaly, autism, intellectual disabilities, and several psychiatric conditions.
Rather than allowing those challenges to define him, Carl embraced school activities and athletics. He played football, participated in chorus, competed in track and field, and became a member of the Forbush High School cross-country team.
Though he often finished races near the back of the pack, his father said Carl never viewed competition as being against other runners.
“He wasn’t running against the other runners. He was running against the version of himself from yesterday,” Jenkins said.
Carl also worked at his family’s business, Pisgah Needleworks in downtown Elkin, where his parents hoped he would continue developing job skills and independence. The store has temporarily closed while the family focuses on his recovery.
To support Carl’s ongoing medical care and rehabilitation, the family has launched the “Sunflowers for Carl” campaign. Donations will be placed into a Special Needs Trust to help cover future medical expenses, rehabilitation, long-term care, and quality-of-life needs.
The campaign’s name reflects Carl’s love of sunflowers, which his father says became a symbol of hope and resilience.
“Carl liked the sunflowers because the blooms were huge. They were yellow, they were bright, and they were happy,” Jenkins said. “I reminded him that whenever he felt those big feelings coming up, he should always be like a sunflower and turn his head toward the light of those people who loved and cared about him.”
Josh Jenkins said adopting Carl came with a lifelong promise to always care for him—a promise he says remains unchanged despite the uncertainty ahead.
“We knew from the beginning that we would be looking after Carl for the entirety of our lives,” Jenkins said. “This changes nothing. It just makes it a little more challenging for us.”
The family continues to ask for prayers, support, and donations as Carl fights through what is expected to be a long recovery.
