Lexington—A Kentucky Baptist man serving on a mission trip in Russia is back home in Kentucky after sustaining serious injuries in a car accident June 6.

Lawrence Kendrick, a member of First Baptist Church of Junction City, was visiting friends in the city of Bryansk, Russia, approximately 235 miles from Moscow, when the taxi cab he and others were riding in was struck by a dump truck on Kendrick’s side of the vehicle.

The 67 year old was knocked unconscious and suffered several bone fractures, according to Steve Fegenbush, associate pastor of First Baptist, Junction City. One other person in the taxi suffered only minor injuries.

Kendrick was part of a seven-person mission team consisting of members of the Junction City church and Lexington Avenue Baptist Church in Danville. The team was serving in Orel, Russia.

Kendrick had travelled to Bryansk to visit a family he had befriended on a previous trip to the area. Following the accident, Ernest Martin, a fellow member of First Baptist, Junction City, and leader of the trip, relayed information back to the United States and Kendrick’s family.

On June 12, his wife, Ramona, and Pete, one of his three sons, travelled to Bryansk. Doctors told Kendrick’s wife and son that Lawrence had suffered brain injuries, but were unclear as to what extent, Fegenbush noted. He also said that Kendrick had exhibited very little response since the accident.

Nearly a week later, Kendrick was transferred to an American medical center in Moscow. Ramona and Pete began making arrangements to have Lawrence flown by air ambulance to Lexington’s Bluegrass Airport.

That plan hit a snag when doctors conflicted over whether Kendrick would require brain surgery in order to travel by air. In addition, Fegenbush said Kendrick’s insurance benefits had essentially dryed up and the family would be responsible for nearly $250,000 in medical bills at the Russian hospitals, as well as another $150,000 for the air ambulance.

After a couple of days, Russian doctors agreed to let Kendrick fly without surgery and he arrived back in Kentucky on June 23. He was immediately rushed to the University of Kentucky’s Chandler Medical Center and placed in critical care. Kendrick’s wife and son returned home the next day.

Fegenbush said he spoke with doctors at UK who acknowledged that they were not clear about the Russian physicians’ assessments of Kendrick, and that they would be required to run their own tests to determine the extent of Kendrick’s injuries.

According to e-mails from Kendrick’s family members and Fegenbush, doctors at UK have determined that Kendrick suffered fractures to multiple ribs, his pelvis, and right femur and knee, as well as a dislocated left hip.

Most importantly, as of June 30, doctors diagnosed Kendrick with diffuse axonal injury, a traumatic brain injury, which according to the Web site, eMedicine.com, is often caused by “high-speed motor vehicle accidents” and leaves 90 percent of diagnosed patients in a “persistent vegitative state.”

According to an e-mail from Kendrick’s son Larry, the family is considering options on Lawrence Kendrick’s long-term health care. Fegenbush noted in another e-mail that the family may have Kendrick moved to a health care facility closer to home in Danville.

Fegenbush said that the Lawrence Kendrick Recovery Fund has been established to help alleviate the financial burden on the Kendrick family. Those who wish to contribute to the fund can do so at any PBK Bank branch in Lincoln, Boyle and Rockcastle Counties, or through First Baptist Church of Junction City, P.O. Box 246, Junction City, KY, 40440.

The congregation also will host a benefit concert July 13 featuring local gospel music groups.