Brayden Serrano’s family has spoken out after the California teen was left paralyzed in a Hawaiian pool diving accident.
Brayden Serrano, 18, had just graduated high school and was preparing to leave for Army boot camp when the incident occurred during a Maui wedding trip last week, according to reporting. The teen, whose mother is an LAPD sergeant, was at a hotel pool with friends when he dove headfirst into the water and struck his head on the bottom.
A friend initially believed the motionless teenager might be playing around. When Brayden remained facedown and still, the friend jumped in and discovered something was seriously wrong. Despite being unable to move his limbs, Brayden was conscious and able to tell his friend he was in trouble, according to a GoFundMe created by his family. The friend managed to pull the roughly 6-foot-tall teen from the pool and summon emergency responders.
Doctors at a Maui trauma center later discovered catastrophic injuries to Brayden’s C5 and C6 neck vertebrae, along with damage to his spinal cord. His C5 vertebra was so badly shattered that surgeons had to remove it and replace it with a cage before performing spinal fusion to stabilize his neck.
Brayden has undergone two surgeries, which his family described as successful. The teenager is currently partially paralyzed in his arms and completely paralyzed in his legs. He also spent part of his hospitalization on a ventilator as doctors worked to stabilize his condition.
His family says the encouraging news is that Brayden did not suffer brain damage and remains able to speak.
“He is a fighter like his mama,” his family wrote on the GoFundMe page.
The accident is particularly heartbreaking because Brayden had been preparing for an entirely different future. The recent high school graduate had enlisted in the Army and was waiting to begin boot camp. He was slated to train as a drone specialist.
Now, his family is facing a future filled with surgeries, rehabilitation and medical expenses, while his mother may need to take time away from work to care for him.
“Life has forever changed for our family in an instant,” they wrote on the fundraising page.
The GoFundMe campaign was launched to help pay for the air ambulance, medical treatment, rehabilitation and other costs associated with Brayden’s life-altering injury. His family said the support and prayers they have received have helped them through the ordeal.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding Brayden’s recovery, his loved ones remain determined to help him regain as much independence and function as possible.
“We will get my son back to functioning on his own one day,” his family wrote. “What that looks like, we don’t know but we are in it together.”
Brayden is expected to be transported back to Southern California by air ambulance so he can begin what his family anticipates will be an extensive rehabilitation process. His medical team and insurance company are working through the complicated logistics of getting him home, with the possibility of additional treatment in Hawaii before he returns to the mainland.
For now, the family is focused on one goal, getting the young man home to California and beginning the long road to recovery.
In the viral moment that preceded the family’s public statements, Brayden had been enjoying what was meant to be a celebratory trip after completing high school and committing to military service. The pool accident occurred in seconds, leaving him facedown and motionless until his friend recognized the severity of the situation and pulled him from the water. The GoFundMe has since drawn attention to the stark contrast between the life Brayden had planned and the uncertain medical reality he now faces.
Brayden’s family continues to update supporters through the GoFundMe as they coordinate his transfer from Maui to Southern California for rehabilitation.