SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – 16-year-old Lincoln High School student Mhiretab Tsegaye is finally home in Sioux Falls after spending two months in the hospital with life-threatening injuries. He and his parents are grateful for all the support they’ve had following a car crash he survived in November.

Zerhun Dejane was able to find hope as he watched his son, Mhiretab Tsegaye, go through the unthinkable.

“When you’re watching the time that he was in the ICU, those days are very dark. But today, from that dark, hope is showing up,” dad said.

Two months ago, Tsegaye was a passenger in a rollover on Interstate 229 that sent him to the hospital in critical condition.

“The brain injury, which is from the medical providers, what we hear is it takes long time for healing,” dad said.

Tsegaye was able to walk and even dribble a ball earlier than expected. But, he still has some recovering to do. The family says they are grateful for all the support the community has given them, including the donations to a GoFundMe page set up for the family. The page raised over $27,000.

“I thank everybody for everything they’ve ever done for me and just being able to put all that money into that, the profit that I saw and all that, that was honestly amazing,” Tab said.

Tsegaye says although he’s already been doing schoolwork again, he soon gets to head back to classes and even start lifting weights again. He’s most excited to get back to playing basketball, which he’s been doing since the fourth grade. And, he has his friends from Lincoln High School in his corner.

“Actually a lot of my friends are just always being there for me and just keep texting me and just keep telling me that they’re always going to be here for me and if I ever need anything,” Tab said.

Barry Grieve, the driver of the car in which Tsegaye was the passenger, died from injuries suffered in the crash. Tsegaye says he’s been thinking of Grieve a lot lately.

“I just had Barry in my head like a lot and like I really do miss him because that was like one of my best friends for sure, and like, he was my guy because like I would always go to him if I had a problem. Me and him were just so close. We had a bond that I would never break,” Tab said.

After the crash, a candlelight vigil was held.