The heartbroken family of Levi Wright have announced their decision to take him off life support after he nearly drowned.
Three-year-old Levi, son of rodeo star Spencer Wright, drove his toy tractor into a river on May 21 at his family’s home in Beaver County, Utah, and disappeared underwater.
Despite miraculously waking up after being declared brain dead, Levi’s mother, Kallie, wrote on Facebook on Sunday that the family had decided to let the boy go because his condition was not improving.
Kallie wrote: ‘After several sleepless nights, much research, multiple conversations with the best neurologists in the world, and millions of prayers, we are here facing our greatest fear.
‘Levi showed us enough to buy time for all this. We prayed that those things were him defying the odds and showing us that he wanted to stay here, but now we see that he wanted to give us time to find peace by letting him go.
The heartbroken family of pint-sized rodeo star Levi Wright have announced their decision to take him off life support after he nearly drowned.
‘I told them my baby was attentive and considerate, I really think he did that for us. During this time, he brought humanity to light across the country, bringing many to their knees and reminding them of what truly matters in this world. In a way he gives the T-rex’s strength a whole new meaning, doesn’t he?
‘Soon I will climb into bed with my baby and hold him as he falls asleep for the last time on this earth. It comforts me to know that he will return to being the perfect child that he was and that he will have the ability to do all the things that he loves!
‘I know there are angels up there waiting to hold him until he can again! We will miss him every second of every day here, but we certainly feel this is the best thing we can do for him. We love you, little beans, and I can’t wait until the day you can “work the land” with me again!’
Kallie dove into the river to save her son before rushing him to the hospital where doctors restored his heartbeat, but he remained unconscious for days as doctors declared him brain dead.
Despite miraculously waking up after being declared brain dead, Levi’s mother, Kallie, wrote on Facebook on Sunday that the family had decided to let the boy go.
As Levi drove toward the river, the 911 caller frantically told the dispatcher that they couldn’t see him under the swift currents.
Kallie realized he had slipped away and ran to the river, and jumped into the currents to save him, and her friend said that she “was the one who found him, she pulled him out.”
A large response from rescue crews from the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office, Utah Highway Patrol, Beaver County Search and Rescue and Beaver Firefighters quickly arrived on scene.
Crews made life-saving efforts before an ambulance took him to Beaver County Hospital, and he was then flown by helicopter to Salt Lake City.
Levi had begun to show signs of progress and tests were scheduled for the weekend to evaluate his brain function.
Levi ran away from his family on the toy tractor (pictured) and his mother dove into the river to save him after he disappeared under the currents.
The rodeo group Bronco Riding Nation shared this photo asking their fans to pray for Levi and promised to donate proceeds from some of their sales.
LEVI WOKE UP! I’m shocked, we don’t know much, but the doctor said it was okay for me to be emotional about it, and I AM! My baby is so tough!’ she wrote.
‘He got a little wild so we had to calm him down again, but my heart!’
Kallie later Friday clarified that Levi was not “fully coherent” or speaking yet.
“He opened his eyes for a period of time, moving with purpose and less reflexively like before,” he wrote.
‘We still have a very long and tremendous road ahead, full of unknowns. Spencer and I felt like he knew we were there and he could hear us.
But in an update on Thursday, Kallie took to Facebook to share that Levi was back under sedation after he “couldn’t stand” being removed and kept “comfortable” while the family waited for the next stage of treatment.
“They keep Levi comfortable, they tried to take him off sedation and he couldn’t handle it.” It was heartbreaking to see and he is now heavily sedated until the next step,” the mother explained.
The family previously said they were taking the recovery “step by step”, with Levi undergoing several MRIs and scans since the tragic accident.
Levi Wright (held by his father), 3, son of rodeo star Spencer Wright (right), was rushed to the hospital after driving his toy tractor into a fast-flowing river.
Spencer Wright, ranked 35th in the world rodeo rankings, and his family said the outpouring of support they have received “means a lot” to them.
Spencer Wright’s family is among the most notable in rodeo history and his father, Bill Wright, was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.
Spencer is ranked 35th in the world and his brothers are also renowned athletes in the sport.
Kallie also updated her followers about Spencer, writing on Thursday, “I know a lot of you are worried about Spencer and I.
“I can say this with complete confidence, I couldn’t do this without him… I already knew we made a great team, but this shows how strong we really are together.” If we didn’t have each other then you might worry, but we have the one we really need by our side!
