North Texas Teen Breaks Spine Fleeing Wasp – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

A freak accident at a Frisco community pool leaves a Lil Elm family in disbelief after their 13-year-old's life changed in an instant.

Semyon Williams Jr., also known as SJ, was at the Old Orchard Park neighborhood pool in Frisco last Thursday when he dove into the shallow end while trying to escape, according to his family. a wasp.

“I guess there was a panic, you know, a frantic move to get out of danger. SJ just jumped in the pool, but apparently he dove in without perhaps knowing the depth of the pool,” said Louis Camper, Williams' grandfather. . “He just remembers hitting his head and he even indicated that he felt like his arms weren't part of his body because he couldn't feel.”

His family said Williams' friend, who also jumped into the water, initially thought the 13-year-old was floating face down for fun and jokes, until he realized the teen was not moving.

“He turns it over and that's when he asks him: 'Are you playing?' and SJ says he can talk, but he says, “I don't feel anything.” He says, “Help me.” I can’t feel, I can’t feel my arms, my legs, help me, call my mom,” described Anya Camper, Williams’ mother.

Anya said her son's friend saved his life because Williams couldn't move and was taking on water.

“By the grace of God, his friend was there and jumped,” Williams’ grandfather said.

The family said a Good Samaritan, a woman sitting by the pool, tried to comfort the teen while others called 911.

“Another kid asked me, ‘Are you SJ’s mom? Can you come to the pool because SJ got hurt badly, he doesn’t feel anything, he hit his head,” recalled Williams’ mother who received the call. “Immediately, I screamed. »

Williams was taken to Children's Health Dallas, where the family learned the severity of his injury.

“You hear about things like this, you see things like this, you never expect it to be your story until it is. When it arrives at your front door, it shakes you, that’s exactly what it did for us,” Anya said.

A freak accident left a Little Elm family speechless after their 13-year-old son broke his spine in a swimming pool while running away from a wasp. NBC 5's Sophia Beausoleil tells the story.

Williams suffered a spinal cord injury.

“When he (a doctor) said quadriplegic, when he said those words, it was a different kind of feeling,” Anya cried.

His son was operated on the same day he arrived at the hospital.

“It stabilizes the bones, so there are no further injuries,” said Bruno Braga, MD, a pediatric neurosurgeon at Children's Health and associate professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

He is not Williams' doctor but is familiar with the case thanks to his colleagues who performed the operation.

“He fractured two vertebrae, the 4th and 5th cervical vertebra, and he fractured parts in front and behind the spinal cord, the spinal canal that contains the spinal cord,” Braga described.

“The fact that he has no motor or sensory function below the level of the injury is not a good indication that he will recover much, but it is too early to tell and we just have to wait and see.”

It's been exactly a week since the accident and the family says they are taking things one step at a time.

“We are people of faith and we have an army of people praying for him,” Anya said. “We believe that any miracle will happen.

It's still too early to determine exactly what Williams' future will look like, but the family is coping and preparing for what lies ahead.

“The reality is it’s a long road. This will be a marathon for us and we need to support him and be with him every step of the way,” Camper said.

They've started a GoFundMe account because they anticipate a mountain of medical bills. Anya, who has two other boys, said she's had to quit her job for the time being to be by Williams' side.

“It touches the heart,” Camper said of his grandson. “At 13, you're just starting to live, you know.”

“As a mom, it’s really heartbreaking, I’m literally helpless. As a mom, you’re supposed to fix things, and I can’t do that, so I’m just praying for help in any way,” Anya cried.