Champion saddle bronco riding horseback rider Spencer Wright and his family are feeling hopeful after 3-year-old Levi opened his eyes and lifted his head Thursday night after they feared he was brain dead after falling off a toy tractor into the Utah River.
On Thursday, the boy’s mother shared a miraculous update on his condition on Facebook.
“Levi woke up! I’m in shock,” his mother, Callie Wright, wrote. “Not sure how long but the doctor said it’s ok for me to be excited and I am excited! My baby is so tough!”
Mindy Clark, a friend of the Wright family, has been posting updates on Wright on social media since he was admitted to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City following Tuesday’s accident, and provided further explanation in her own post.
Rodeo star Spencer Wright’s 3-year-old son hospitalized after falling into Utah River while riding toy tractor
Spencer Wright, 33, is ranked 40th in the world in equestrian events. Wright’s 3-year-old son, Levi, remains in critical condition after falling into the Utah River while riding a tractor. (Stacey Scott/Desert News via The Associated Press)
“He opened his eyes and tried to lift his head,” Clark wrote. “The nurse was in the room telling him how much he loved drilling machines, and lo and behold, there he was.”
In another post, Clark said Levi’s EEG monitor showed brain activity when he heard his sister say, “I hope he gets better and I can’t wait for him to come home.” The monitor also reacted when his family played dinosaur sounds from Levi’s favorite book and when his mother kissed him, Clark said.
A few days ago, Clark and her family were pessimistic about the boy’s condition, with a friend writing, “We… have a strong feeling that his soul is no longer with us because his sweet little brain has been deprived of oxygen for so long that it will never recover.”
Levi was playing outside his Beaver County home when his mother went inside for a moment, and when she returned, the toddler was nowhere to be found.
“I’m asking all Beavers to come to my house and help me find my son who is in the water,” she posted on Facebook during the search.
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The Beaver County Sheriff’s Office, which did not release the boy’s name, said in a statement that they received a call about a boy who had fallen into the river from a toy tractor around 6 p.m.
After “life-saving measures were administered at the scene,” Levi was transported by ambulance to Beaver Valley Hospital and then flown by helicopter to Primary Children’s Hospital, the department said in a Facebook post.
“[Kallie] “I saw a little tractor upside down, I called 911 right away and I went in the water to look for the tractor,” Clark told KUTV. “I don’t know how long it was in the water, but it had drifted quite far out.”
Initially the outlook for the family was bleak, but a test on Wednesday gave them hope.
Spencer Wright competed in the BP Super Series Saddle Bronco Riding at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on March 5, 2014 in Houston. (Marie D. De Jesus/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
“When the doctor came into the room to finish up the procedure, he was a bit surprised by his assessment of our daughter and felt very strongly that we needed to give her more time,” the family said Wednesday. “That doesn’t mean we won’t be back in 12 hours holding our son in our arms and preparing to say goodbye, but it does mean there is time for a miracle to happen. We shouldn’t give up on our son just yet.”
Clark wrote that the family has been “incredibly overwhelmed” by the love and prayers they have received since their child was injured.
“We miss our other babies so much. Their mom has never spent a night away from them before, but Bray and Steely are receiving the best care!” Curry said of her two other children, through Clark.
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Stetson Wright, Jesse Wright, Ryder Wright, Rusty Wright, Spencer Wright and Cody Wright pose onstage during the “Outside the Barrel” show with Flint Rasmussen during Cowboy Christmas at the National Finals Rodeo at the Las Vegas Convention Center on December 7, 2019 in Las Vegas. (Mindy Small/FilmMagic)
The toddler’s father, 33-year-old Spencer Wright, is a world-ranked saddle bronc rider ranked 40th. He and his three brothers made history in 2014 when all four qualified to compete in the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo, which Wright ultimately won.
The family was the subject of a book called “The Last Cowboys” and was also featured in an episode of “60 Minutes.”
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Earlier this year, Wright won first place at the Rio Grande Livestock Show and Rodeo. Mercedes, Texas.
