RENTON, Wash. — Outside of Harborview Medical Center, Carlena Harp spoke candidly about her son, 23-year-old Eric Harp, and the night last month that forever changed his life.
The incident happened in the 200 block of Hardie Avenue Northwest in Renton on Jan. 18.
"My nephew called and told me Eric had been shot," Carlena Harp said.
She barely remembers making it to the shooting scene. When she got there, the ambulance had already taken her son to the hospital, where he was rushed into surgery. Harp said her son was shot four times.
"One of the bullets went into his abdomen. He lost a kidney. His spinal cord was completely severed. His spinal column was shattered. Bone fragments were shot up into his spinal cord," Harp said. Eric lost a portion of his pancreas and his spleen was damaged. He broke his femur and his knee. Bullets hit his left arm and his right foot.
These are details she said she'll never be able to forget.
"As a mom, watching this happen to your 23-year-old son is devastating," Harp said. "It's just a reality check because anything can happen to anybody at any time."
Harp said the fact it happened to her son is a cruel irony and that her son does not know or affiliate with anyone who would target him in such a violent way.
"I raised him right. He is not affiliated with anything on the streets. He just likes to hang with his friends and watch anime," she said. "Everybody loves Eric."
Love for Eric is what led to KING 5 covering this story. One of his former teachers reached out to share what happened. Eric's job, which he's only had for a few months, started fundraising for him. They've also said he has a job waiting for him when he's able to come back.
"Since he's been here, there hasn't been one day where there hasn't been at least four people in the waiting room from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.," she said.
Harp said she's overwhelmed by all the support. She doesn't know where they'd be if it wasn't for friends and family feeding them, giving them rides to and from the hospital as needed, and just being there for Harp and her daughter as they sit by Eric's bedside.
The emotional toll is compounded by the financial burden that's going to come along with helping Eric adjust to his new life. Harp estimates they're going to need around $124,000.
That's going to cover moving to a wheelchair accessible home, an electric wheelchair, a van that'll fit the wheelchair and allow Eric to drive, having a hospital bed in his home, rehabilitation/therapy.
Harp said they're also going to be without any income for at least three to six months. She ran a small business, but couldn't manage clients and appointments while having to be a full-time caregiver for her son.
"Especially with the doctors telling me that I need to expect a minimum of a year to help him readjust, his physical therapy, to be strong enough to be independent," Harp said. That's why she's hoping the community will rally, providing them with a cushion as they start this new journey that's going to continue to cost them money for years to come.
"We do believe Eric is going to make it through all of this and live a happy, successful life. It's just unfortunate this happened and he has a very long road ahead of him," she said.
Harp said she has purposely chosen to not worry about the person who shot her son.
"Of course, you don't want someone like that on the streets, but I have other stuff I need to focus on," she said.
As of Feb. 3, the Renton Police Department has not provided additional information about the shooting.