Nick Messenger nearly died last year.

After being hit by a car on Feb. 17 last year, the 12-years-old spent 64 days in the hospital, went through eight surgeries and nearly died.

"He was as close to death as you can get," said his mother Jennifer Messenger.

Jennifer Messenger and her husband Eric have opened Esperanza, a pediatric therapy center that is being described as a place for hope and healing. Esperanza means hope in Spanish.

The center is located at 9200 Holman Road N.W. about three blocks east of where a van hit Nick while he was crossing 15th Avenue Northwest and Northwest 87th Street.

A van's side view mirror hit Nick in the head causing blunt force trauma. He suffered from a stroke on the left side of his brain, a traumatic brain injury and was in a coma for several months.

Nick was fed with a tracheotomy tube at the hospital. When he came out of the coma he could not talk. At night he would cry and moan.

Doctors gave the Messengers a dire forecast. They predicted that he would be in vegetative state for the rest of his life.

"Nick has done real well considering what has happened to him. He was as close to death as you can get," said Messenger.

The first night after the accident was the most critical. "He made a decision he wanted to live that night," said Messenger.

After being released from the hospital, Nick convalesced at the family's Ballard home for several months. He also spent time at Children's Hospital's Rehabilitation Center.

"We spent several months out of state, finding therapy for Nick," said Messenger. They went to California for treatment at Movement Discovery for three months because they were unable to find a specialized therapy center in Seattle.

At Movement Discovery, Nick made progress in his movement and speech.

Messenger said the family with father Eric, sons Alex, 11, Tony, 10, and Chris, 5, was broken apart from the separation.

One of the goals was to keep the family together, while caring for Nick, now 13. Messenger thought about Movement Discovery and asked herself, "why can't we do the same thing here." Now he undergoes two hours of therapy at Esperanza with therapist Greg Hauge and takes speech therapy on Capitol Hill.

Hauge is just a visiting therapist. Messenger is in the process of hiring one full-time and a part-time therapist to work with Nick and Esperanza's clients.

On a typical day, Hauge comes to Esperanza and helps Nick with leg and arm exercises to develop his strength.

Then he does walking exercises with a brace on his right leg. The brace causes pain and Nick grimaces as hangs onto his mother for support. When the brace is removed, he walks much easier.

It's significant progress for Nick. His doctors told the family he could be in a vegetative state for the rest of his life.

"He has made a lot of progress. We have learned fast, how to be nurses," said Messenger.

The goal is for Nick to be able to get around with a walker or crutches someday. Messenger would like to see her son become more mobile and independent.

"I'm not the only person out there with this issue. Life revolves around therapy," said Messenger.

Because the Messengers met so many other children who could benefit from specialized care, it made sense to them to open Esperanza.

For them it was a way to give back to the community that supported them in their time of need.

Esperanza will work with children two to 18 years old who are born with diseases like asperger syndrome, cerebral palsy, neuro muscular disorders, stroke and dramatic brain injury.

"This is a missing piece. There is no clinic like this in Seattle. No other place offers intensive rehabilitation therapy," said Messenger.

Esperanza has a main exercise room, kitchen, family activity room, a room to be used as small gymnasium and a room for more private therapy sessions.

"We will use the space as a resource for families, a place where people will be able to belong. They can come here to do exercise, homework, play and be productive," said Messenger.

The Messenger family learned the hard way that an injury such as Nick's can affect them. His regulation hospital bed made their apartment too cramped. Other family activities the other sons are involved in had to be balanced with caring for Nick.

They found a school, Meadowdale Middle School with a special education program that could accommodate Nick. They bought a home in Edmonds to be close to the school.

For Esperanza, Messenger decided to stay in Ballard, a community that came together to raise money for Nick's care.

Luisa's Mexican Restaurant held an all-day fundraiser last year for Nick and donated the proceeds. "There was a line all around the restaurant all day. The community has been generous," said Messenger.

The family used the money to find Nick alternative therapies during a time of their greatest need. "It made it nice for us. It was easier, we were under so much stress. All the funds helped him get to where he is today," said Messenger.

Husband Eric picks up the other three sons from St. Alphonsus School in the afternoon and brings them to Esperanza. Suddenly the center becomes a beehive of activity for the three boys as their brother goes through hand strength exercises.

Messenger says Esperanza will give the family more control as a family. Nick will get the care he needs.

"Our whole life has changed as a result of Nick. There's not a lot of help out there for people," said Messenger.

As the parents, Jennifer and Eric have done everything possible to keep the family grounded. "It's very challenging and difficult. This will be the life he leads, probably forever," Messenger said.

The family wants Nick to get better so he can lead a happy and fulfilling life.

"All we have is the hope that Nick will be better. There's a reason and purpose for him being here," said Messenger.

Since at accident, the city's Department of Transportation has installed a traffic signal. Instead of putting it at 87th Street where Nick was hit, they placed a block north of there at 88th Street and Holman Road Northwest.

Messenger is thinking about starting a foundation that provides scholarships for kids that need intensive therapy. Visit http://www.esperanzapr.com.

Dean Wong can be reached at 783.1244 or dino@robinsonnews.com.