On January 24, 2026, our lives changed in an instant.
What started as a fun winter day for our 16-year-old son, Sawyer, turned into every parent’s worst nightmare. He was out sledding with friends during a snowstorm, being pulled behind a UTV, when the sled hit a bump and threw him into a row of trees. He hit a tree head-first.
In those first terrifying moments, his friends became heroes. They called 911, kept him warm, positioned him carefully, and got help from nearby adults. Their quick thinking helped save our son’s life, and I will never forget that.
Sawyer arrived at Wesley Children’s Hospital, and we were told he had multiple skull fractures, a brain bleed with swelling, and several facial fractures. During a CT scan, he aspirated blood and had to be intubated and sedated before being stabilized and transferred to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU).
Those were some of the scariest moments we have ever faced as parents.
My husband and I were told our son had life-threatening head injuries. We were preparing ourselves for the worst – something no parent should ever have to do.
The days that followed were filled with constant monitoring, scans, and uncertainty. Sawyer eventually underwent a craniotomy to repair sinus fractures. Then, four days after the accident, we reached a moment we had been praying for – he was able to be extubated.
From there, we started to see glimpses of our boy again. Little by little, Sawyer began coming back to us. It’s hard to describe that feeling, but it was like watching life return right in front of us.
After a week in the PICU, he moved to the pediatric floor, where his recovery continued with physical, occupational, and speech therapy. That’s also when we had to make another difficult decision – sending him out of state for rehabilitation.
As parents, the thought of taking your child somewhere far from home for recovery is incredibly overwhelming. But the therapy team at Wesley Children’s Hospital guided us with so much care and confidence. They helped us understand that this was the best step for Sawyer, and they were absolutely right.
Sawyer was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital in Omaha, and just a few weeks later, he was able to come home. Seeing him walk back into our house and even attend his school’s homecoming and cheer on his basketball team felt like a miracle.
Today, Sawyer is getting back to the things he loves. He’s a multisport athlete, a team captain, a National Honor Society member, and he even taught himself how to play guitar. He’s back in school, continuing therapy, and working toward getting back on the baseball field.
His recovery has been nothing short of extraordinary.
As a nurse practitioner, I’m used to being on the other side of healthcare. This experience was completely different. It felt strange at first not being the one making decisions – but the team at Wesley Children’s Hospital never made us feel like outsiders. They included us in everything, kept us informed, invited us to rounds, and truly listened to our concerns.
And the care went far beyond just Sawyer.
He is so deeply loved, and the staff made sure we had the space and support for our family and friends to be there with us. It was such a frightening time, but their kindness and understanding meant everything.
Now, just two months later, Sawyer is thriving. We truly believe he will be 100% in no time.
As we celebrated his 17th birthday on March 27, it meant more than words can express. We know there was a real possibility that we wouldn’t get that day. Instead of grief, we got to celebrate—and that is a gift we will never take for granted.
Written by Baylee Ehrhart from Belle Plaine, Kan.
Sponsored by Wesley Healthcare.
When the unexpected happens, you can count on Wesley Healthcare to be here for you. Our five ERs offer 24/7 kid and adult emergency care close to home. Find an ER near you at WesleyMC.com/ER.
For the most advanced pediatric care, Wesley Children’s Hospital offers pediatric specialists, a family-friendly pediatric unit, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and the region’s only pediatric emergency room lose to home.
