Texas teen paralyzed after jumping into pool to escape wasp

At national scale — Semyon Williams Jr., a 13-year-old African-American teenager from Little Elm, Texas, suffered a life-changing injury after diving into a shallow community pool to escape a wasp. The accident tragically resulted in a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed.Panicked by the wasp, Williams, also known as SJ, jumped into the pool without realizing its depth, according to his grandfather.

“He just remembers hitting his head and he even mentioned that his arms felt like they weren't part of his body because he couldn't feel,” SJ's grandfather, Louis Camper, told NBC DFW.

His friend, who also jumped, initially thought SJ was joking until he realized he couldn't move.

“He turns him over, and that’s when he asks him, ‘Are you playing?’ and SJ says he can talk, but he says, ‘I can’t feel anything.’ You know, he’s freaking out. He says, ‘Help me! I can’t feel – I can’t feel my arms, my legs. Help me, call my mom,’” said Anya Camper, SJ’s mother.

SJ was rushed to Children's Health Dallas, where doctors diagnosed him and confirmed he had a severe spinal cord injury. His family was devastated when the doctor said he might be quadriplegic.

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

The same day, SJ underwent surgery to stabilize her fractured vertebrae and prevent further damage. SJ's future remains uncertain, but the family remains strong to support him.

Her family has started a GoFundMe campaign to help cover mounting medical bills as Anya has had to quit her job to be with SJ and care for her two other sons. So far, the campaign has raised more than $42,000.

“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 said.