The heartbroken family of Levi Wright have announced they have decided to take him off life support after he almost drowned.
Three-year-old Levi, the son of rodeo star Spencer Wright, drove his toy tractor into the river near his family’s home in Beaver County, Utah, on May 21 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 confronted with our greatest fear.
“Levi showed us just enough to give us time for all this. We prayed that he defied the odds and proved to us that he wanted to stay here, but we now 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 has announced they have decided to remove him from life support after he nearly drowned
“I told you my baby was thoughtful and considerate, I truly believe he did that for us. During this time, he lifted up humanity across the land, bringing many to their knees and reminding them of what really matters in this world. It gives the power of the T-rex a whole new meaning, doesn’t it?
“Here I will soon be crawling into bed with my baby and holding him as he falls asleep for the last time on this earth. I find comfort in knowing that he will be restored to the perfect little boy he was and will have the ability to do all the things he loves!
“I know there are angels up there waiting to hold him until I can again!” We will miss him here every second of every day, but we feel without a doubt that this is the best thing we can do for him! We love you, baby beans, and I can’t wait for the day you get to work with me again!’
Kallie dove into the river to save her son before racing him to 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 into the river, the person who called 911 frantically told dispatchers that they couldn’t see him under the fast-moving current.
Kallie realized he had snuck away and run to the river, jumping into the current to save him, with her friend saying she was ‘the one who found him, she got him out’.
A massive response from rescue teams from the Beaver County Sheriff’s Office, the Utah Highway Patrol, the Beaver County Search and Rescue team and Beaver firefighters quickly responded to the scene.
Crews performed life-saving efforts before an ambulance took him to Beaver County hospital, and he was later flown by helicopter to Salt Lake City.
Levi started showing signs of progress and tests were scheduled for the weekend to assess his brain function.
Levi snuck away from his family in the toy tractor (pictured), and his mother dived into the river to save him after he disappeared under the current
Rodeo group Bronco Riding Nation shared this photo asking fans to pray for Levi and pledging to donate proceeds from a portion of his sales
‘LEVI WAKE UP! I’m shocked, 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 cool!’ she wrote.
“He got a little wild, so we had to calm him down again, but my heart!”
Kallie clarified later on Friday that Levi was not yet “fully coherent” or talking.
“He opened his eyes for a while, wiggling purposefully and less like a reflex like before,” she wrote.
‘We still have a very long and wonderful road ahead of us, full of uncertainties. Spencer and I felt like he knew we were there and could hear us.
But on Thursday, Kallie said in an update on Facebook that Levi was back under sedation after “couldn’t cope” with being taken off it and was being kept “comfortable” while the family waited for the next stage of treatment.
‘They keep Levi comfortable, they tried to reduce the anesthesia but he couldn’t. It was heartbreaking to watch 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 a number of MRIs and scans since the tragic accident.
Levi Wright (in father’s arms), 3, the son of rodeo star Spencer Wright (right), was taken to hospital after driving his toy tractor into a fast-flowing river
Spencer Wright, ranked 35th in the rodeo world rankings, and his family said the outpouring of support they have received ‘means the world to them’
Spencer Wright’s family is among the most prominent 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 siblings are also renowned athletes in the sport.
Kallie also updated her followers about Spencer, writing Thursday, “I know a lot of you are worried about Spencer and me.
“I can say this with complete confidence, I couldn’t do this without him… I already knew we were a great team, but this shows how strong we really are together. If we didn’t have each other you might worry, but we have who we really need by our side!