The teenager who was severely injured in a car crash in Colonie Friday night is in critical but stable condition at the Westchester Burn Unit. Niko Dinovo was the passenger in the car. Our Jorja Roman spoke with Dinovo's aunt and cousin about how he's doing.
“He’s energetic; he loves his family. He is very family oriented. He’s always with us and he loves when we all get together. And he loves everyone he meets,” said Davina Resciniti, Dinovo’s aunt.
From the outpouring of support for Niko Dinovo, it’s clear everyone he meets loves him back.
“He’s the best. He has such a huge heart,” said Marcus Resciniti, Dinovo’s cousin.
Dinovo was the passenger in a car Friday night that crashed into Blessings Tavern in Colonie, starting a fire. The driver is now facing felony charges. Dinovo is in critical condition at the Westchester Burn Unit. His aunt says he has third-degree burns on 95 percent of his body.
“He is progressing in the right direction. He hasn’t had any major setbacks. The first 72 hours are the most critical, because that’s when his body is going to respond to the trauma from the burns,” Davina Resciniti said.
In the first 48 hours, he’s received prayers, well wishes and donations from family, friends and people he’s never met. The hash tag #PrayForNiko is being used on social media and more than $19,000 has been raised on GoFundMe.
“That is something that’s just absolutely remarkable,” said Marcus Resciniti.
“It’s what’s carrying us right now. The support from these people, the prayer chain that’s going, the texts, the donations and the amount of people that showed up here yesterday. Their love and support is truly what’s getting us through right now,” Davina Resciniti said.
His family says they can’t thank everyone enough. They are hopeful he will make a full recovery, but Dinovo has a long journey ahead, and prayers are what they need most.
“The power of prayer is really what it comes down to. He’s going to pull through. This kid’s a fighter. That’s one of the most important attributes about him is he is fighter,” said Marcus Resciniti.
Dinovo’s aunt says Niko’s friends at Colonie High School are planning to all wear pink and blue on Monday in support of Niko. She says the entire family is thankful for the ongoing support from everyone in the community.
If you would like to donate to the GoFundMe campaign, click here.