West Virginia University student Ryan Diviney spent his first weekend at home in three months since being attacked outside the Willey Street Dairy Mart Nov. 7.
Ryan, who remains in a coma as a result of the attack, returned to his hometown of Ashburn, Va., Thursday to continue treatment from home.
Being out of the hospital environment stimulates Ryan's brain because he can pick up on household senses like the smell of dinner and his dogs' soft fur, said Kari Diviney, Ryan's sister.
"We'll have him at the table, and we're always going to be around him," Kari said. "Having him hear the laundry and the ice machine at night – it will be like everything is back to normal."
Ryan was attacked by nearly 10 people at 3:10 a.m. Nov. 7 as result of an altercation about the World Series, according to police reports.
Jonathan May, 18 and Austin Vantrease, 18 of Newark Del., surrendered themselves to Morgantown Police on an arrest warrant and were charged with malicious assault.
May and Vantrease pleaded "not guilty" during an arraignment hearing in January.
Ryan was treated at the Shepherd Center for Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation and Brain Injury Rehabilitation in Atlanta, Ga. The Diviney family has been
anticipating Ryan's homecoming since the doctors there said he could return home, said Sue Diviney, Ryan's mother.
An office on the first floor of the home has been cleared out to make a bedroom for Ryan, she said.
Neighbors and community members also built wheelchair access ramps in the family's garage and front door.
"The local community has been tremendous. They painted the ramp in the garage with WVU colors and are going to paint a WVU emblem on it," Sue said. "When he wakes up, he's going to be excited about that, everything is the Mountaineers with him."
Neighbors have also shoveled the family's driveway and left boxes of food and supplies on their front porch.
"I can't say enough about the kindness of people," Sue said.
While at home, Ryan will receive medical care from Dr. Michael Rodriguez, from Ashburn, Va., and home nursing care.
Ryan's room is superior to an ICU unit, said Ken Diviney in a post to www.ryansrally.org, a Web site operated by the family to update on his condition.
The past three months have been "unreal" for those who were closest to Ryan, said Kyle Boukedes, Ryan's best friend and University of South Carolina student.
"His attackers have no idea the severity of their actions," Boukedes said. "They should try to put themselves in that position. How would they feel if it happened to their family or their best friend?"
Boukedes said he looks forward to visiting with his friend once he returns home from USC.
Even though Ryan is in a coma, he is still aware of his surroundings and shows signs of alertness, Sue said.
She recalled a time in the hospital when Ryan's heart rate went up, and he lifted his head after she greeted him. She believes it was her voice that he was reacting to, she said.
"I truly believe in my heart that he is in there," Sue said. "I hope that someday we can wake him up."
Ryan's return home could provide the stimulation he needs to come out of the coma, she said.