During the next few weeks, Kadish will learn how to use a wheelchair and walk with crutches.
“The first step is to get him out of bed and moving around,” Montes said. “Then we’ll get him walking again. Within three to four months, we expect he’d be back 100 percent.”
Although Kadish’s spirits are improving daily, it is not clear how the traumatic experience will affect him in the long run. During regular visits by the hospital psychiatrist, Kadish talks about the shooting some days, but not others.
“It’s so difficult to tell how the shooting is going to affect his behavior,” Montes said. “At this point, we just want to get him up and running around like any other 5-year-old.”
The four others who were shot at the Jewish Community Center in Granada Hills — a 68-year-old receptionist, 16-year-old counselor and two 6-year-old boys — have been released from local hospitals.