As a 14-year-old Red Deer boy who was stabbed in the heart makes small gains in a Calgary hospital, friends are planning a benefit to assist his shattered family.

Tanner Chaboyer is still not fully conscious, more than a month after being nearly killed on Gaetz Avenue.

The youth, whose heart had to be restarted several times by paramedics, sustained brain damage after going into cardiac arrest.

His family doesn’t know when he will walk or talk again. But Tanner appears to be making some small progress.

James Chaboyer said his son seems to have some mobility in his legs and vision in his left eye.

“I thought he was awake, because his eyes were open.” James said. But doctors told the family that Tanner is not yet lucid, even though he is no longer on medication to immobilize him.

“They said it could be a month or a month and a half, before he’s awake,” said James, who has seen his son try to talk but no words come out.

The Chaboyer family, including Tanner’s mother Amber and their younger son, are traumatized by what happened to the out-going, athletic student who won a provincial youth achievement award for his high academic standing.

Neither James nor Amber have been able to work since Tanner was stabbed — the parents take turns driving to Calgary to be with him, and caring for their younger son and attending court hearings in Red Deer.

To help ease the family’s financial burden, Kevin Kosik is planning a benefit concert on Tuesday, Sept. 30 at the Memorial Centre.

Kosik, a former music promoter whose daughter is friends with Tanner, has lined up a Celtic punk band he’s friends with, The Real McKenzies, to play for free at 4:30 p.m.

The Vancouver band, called a cross between the Sex Pistols and Robbie Burns, was already booked to play a gig in Innisfail and were only too happy to donate their services when told about the Chaboyer family’s circumstances, said Kosik. He added the band has promised to give a G-rated benefit performance.

Kosik really feels for the Chaboyer family. “It’s tough talking about it. My wife starts to break down in tears...We just wanted to do something to help,” said the city man, who describes Tanner as “a nice kid. You couldn’t meet a nicer kid.”

James hasn’t heard the full story behind his son’s stabbing on the afternoon of Aug. 11. He only knows Tanner went to the local skateboard park and then got into a verbal dispute with another youth, whom he did not know. He was stabbed in front of Rent a Wreck near 47th Street and 49th (Gaetz) Avenue. James credits the owner of the business for helping save his boy’s life by calling 911 and starting CPR.

A 16-year-old male, who can’t be named under youth court provisions, was later arrested and charged with aggravated assault.

James said it’s hard not knowing how the brain injury will leave Tanner. His 11-year-old son mistakenly thinks everything will be OK once his older brother comes home from the hospital. “He doesn’t understand, or doesn’t want to understand” that Tanner will never be the same, said his dad.

“It could be years before... We don’t know what we have.”

The family has been coping as best as they can. “We don’t have a choice in the matter. We have to pray and hope for the best,” said James.

Since Central Alberta Theatre donated the Memorial Centre for the fundraiser, “one hundred percent” of money raised at the concert will go to help the Chaboyers with their costs,” said Kosik

Entry to the benefit concert will be by donation. “People can give $1 or $2 or whatever they want to give.” Kosik said city residents can also choose not to attend, but still leave a donation at the Memorial Centre box office during the 4:30 p.m. concert.

The situation has devastated Tanner’s friends from West Park Middle School, who made the move to Hunting Hills High School this fall without their bright and popular classmate, who is known for enjoying skateboarding, basketball, singing, and playing in a family charity baseball tournament each summer that benefits cancer research.

Kosik said Tanner’s classmates are selling popcorn to assist his family, and both West Park and Hunting Hills schools are allowing the benefit concert with The Real McKenzies to be advertised to students.

James, who is dismayed that some onlookers did not come to his son’s aid after the stabbing, is now touched by efforts to help the family.

James credits his co-workers at Travelaire and Amber’s coworkers at an oilfield service company Lee Specialties for being very understanding and supportive. But the Chaboyers found neither the justice system nor the government offers much immediate assistance to families under financial as well as emotional distress due to crime.

For this reason, James would like to see a similar benefit held each year, and the proceeds put into a trust fund for other families who must deal with this kind of financial fall-out. “I don’t imagine we’re the only family this will happen to.”

Contact Lana Michelin at lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com