The mother of a three-year-old boy who suffered a brain injury after driving his toy tractor into a Utah river shared a gut-wrenching update on the health of her son.
Levi Wright, son of rodeo star Spencer Wright, was initially declared brain dead after driving his toy tractor into a fast-moving river in Beaver County on Tuesday.
His mother, Kallie Wright, dived in to save him and raced to the hospital where doctors restored his heartbeat, but warned the Wrights that Levi’s brain was too damaged for him to survive.
Levi miraculously showed signs of brain function on Friday, but now his mother is warning the hardest part of their journey has yet to come.
‘We are exploring the therapies that have been mentioned, engaging with those we feel can be of support for us and getting as many professional eyes on this as possible,’ Kallie said in a Facebook update.
Levi Wright (pictured), son of rodeo star Spencer Wright, was initially declared brain dead after driving his toy tractor into a fast-moving river in Beaver County on Tuesday
Levi miraculously showed signs of brain function on Friday, but now his mother, Kallie Wright (left) is warning the hardest part of their journey has yet to come
‘We still just need the prayers. We will need them for years to come as I fear we haven’t even reached the hardest part of this.
‘Our doctor is nothing short of outstanding and I believe with all of me that her heart is invested into him, as she has provided us the most precious gift of time. Something we almost did not have.
‘Whether that is time to see if God provides a miracle to us or whether it’s time for us to research, learn and process this all in order to make the most informed decisions.
‘Every decision that Levi’s Dad and I will make will be made based on what, we the two people who know him best believe he would want. In all this, he comes first.’
On Friday, an his parents received the devastating news that an MRI gave a poor prognosis for the youngster.
‘This is an experience, I pray deep in my soul you never have to know the way I am beginning to. This is a roller coaster that you go on unwillingly & blindfolded, you do not know what’s coming next. You just get to wait & ride it out. We are taking it day by day,’ Kallie said.
His parents are weighing medical advice and exploring different therapy options for their son’s recovery
Kallie Wright dived in to save her three-year-old son when he drove his toy tractor into the raging river
Late on Thursday night, Levi woke up, according to his mother who is by his bedside at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City with her husband Spencer
‘The term “Brain Injury” is very broad, there are ranges and different severities. No two brain injuries are alike, even if the accident is similar. No two brains recover or don’t recover the same. There is a lot Medical Professionals don’t know, but what they do tell you is based off legitimate medical literature and history.’
Late on Thursday night, Levi woke up, according to his mother who is by his bedside at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City with her husband Spencer.
‘LEVI WOKE UP! I am shook, we don’t know much but the doctor said it was okay for me to get excited about that and I AM! My baby is so tough!’ she said.
‘He got a little wild so we had to settle him down again but my heart!’
Later on Friday she clarified Levi wasn’t ‘fully coherent’ or talking yet.
‘He opened his eyes for a period of time, wiggled with purpose and less like just a reflex as before,’ Kallie said.
Kallie said he wasn’t fully coherent but opened his eyes and wiggled with purpose
However, on Friday an his parents received the devastating news that an MRI gave a poor prognosis for the youngster
‘We still have a very long and tremendous road ahead of us, full of unknowns. Spencer and I felt like he knew we were there and could hear us.’
When Levi drove into the river, the person who called 911 frantically told the dispatcher that they couldn’t see him under the fast-moving currents.
Kallie realized he had sneaked off and ran to the river, and jumped into the currents to save him, with her friend saying she ‘was the one who found him, she got him out’.
A huge response of rescue teams from the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office, the Utah Highway Patrol, the Beaver County Search and Rescue team, and Beaver firefighters were quickly on the scene.
The crews administered life-saving efforts before an ambulance raced him to Beaver County hospital, and he was later airlifted to Salt Lake City via helicopter.
Spencer Wright’s (pictured) family is among the most prominent in the history of rodeo and he is ranked 35th in the world
Spencer Wright’s family is among the most prominent in the history of rodeo, and his father, Bill Wright, was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.
Spencer is ranked 35th in the world, and his siblings are also renowned athletes in the sport.
ProRodeo chief executive Tom Glause said in a statement, ‘The entire ProRodeo community’s heart aches for the Wright family. We will continue to hold them in our thoughts and prayers.’