Teen injured in Waukesha holiday parade incident comes home from hospital: 'He's strong'

WAUKESHA, Wis. -- One of the teenagers injured during the Waukesha Christmas parade is out of the hospital and back home.

But the road to the recovery for Erick Tiegs is long, WTMJ reported.

A crowd of friends and family stood by for Tiegs' return home.

"Getting in the car was hard for him; getting out was a little better," said Donald Tiegs, the boy's father. "It's still painful. It's hard for him to stand up, move without putting any weight on the leg because it hurts quite a bit, the one he broke. But he's strong, he'll get through this, we'll get through this."

Tiegs was playing trombone when he was struck.

He suffered a skull fracture and a C-4 vertebrae fracture.

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His femur and ribs were broken, his lungs bruised and collapsed.

His father said his son will have to re-learn how to walk.

"He actually walked 12 feet today with a walker," Donald Tiegs said.

Earlier in the day, volunteers built a ramp for Tiegs.

His father hopes his son won't have to use it for long.

The boy had planned to play travel baseball this summer.

SEE MORE: Waukesha vigil held for Wisconsin Christmas parade victims; 8 children still hospitalized

"He's looking at a lot of doctors' appointments and physical therapy that we're going to have to take him to, and he's going to be going through to try to walk again on his own without use of walker," Donald Tiegs said.

The teen's father is a Caledonia, Wisconsin firefighter, and a fire truck escorted the family home. His coworkers were there to support them.

"You call, they come running, and they won't hesitate. The only thing that holds us back is going on a call for someone else, and that's what we do for a living and that's why we do it," Donald Tiegs said.

The Tiegs family thanks everyone for the support and also asks that you keep the other kids who are recovering in your thoughts as well.