Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
SALT LAKE CITY — A Utah family continues to pray over their little boy who was swept down a Beaver County creek one week ago.
Three-year-old Levi Wright drove his toy tractor into the creek on May 21 and disappeared. After 25 minutes of searching, rescuers found him unresponsive in water over 4 feet deep, nearly a mile downstream.
"It absolutely is every single parent's worst nightmare," said Wright family spokesperson Mindy Clark.
Clark has been best friends with Kallie Wright, Levi Wright's mother, for nearly 14 years.
"We're more like sisters," Clark said. "The entire time I have known Kallie, she has said, 'I can't wait to be a mother — I can't wait to be married and be a mom.' She is the world's best mom. Watching her baby boy struggle is a nightmare for her. It's just so awful."
In a Facebook post, Wright thanked first responders who spent nearly an hour reviving her son as he was transported to Primary Children's Hospital.
"For Kallie and Spencer to be called to the carpet, in real-time, and have to make these decisions for their son..." Clark said. "Every single day — every single minute when they are getting updates, they lead with love for their son; it's absolutely incredible to witness."
Late last week, Levi opened his eyes and tried to raise his head off the pillow. The Wrights were ecstatic. Currently, Levi is still on a ventilator, but doctors are slowly weaning him off of life support machines.
"He had a really good night on Saturday night. The nurses and doctors were really happy about how he is responding to the weaning," Clark said. "But then we received the MRI results, and the news was not what we wanted to hear."
Clark didn't talk about the specifics of Levi's brain injury, but she mentioned heartache like the kind you would see in a dramatic film.
"The best way to describe how it's made me feel is like in the movies when someone receives shocking news and they stay still and frozen. But the room spins around them. It feels something like that; it's a nightmare you keep waiting to wake up from. Yet when you do wake up — the awful and the hurt are still your reality," Clark said.
Neurologists said how Levi acts in the next few days will be telling of what his quality of life will look like.
Clark mentioned the Wright family wanted to thank the doctors and nurses helping Levi in the hospital. One nurse quickly fixed Levi's hair after it had been washed and styled spiked up.
"Levi has always hated his hair spiked up. He is very particular that it needs to be combed down," Clark said. "And this sweet nurse took that very seriously and made sure his hair was combed the way he would like it."
Levi comes from a family of rodeo champions. His father, Spencer Wright, is ranked No. 40 in the world for saddle bronc riding. Levi's story has been shared across the globe with a large prayer chain for the young preschooler.
"He has brought communities together," Clark said, "He has made unbelievers, believers just in these little blimps of hope. At his tender age of 3, Levi has touched more lives than he will ever know. Regardless of the outcome, and we know what we are facing, he is special."
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