In July 2020, amid a worldwide pandemic, 3-year-old Zion and his family were getting ready for a socially distant drive-by birthday party at their home for his older brother, Isaiah, who was turning 8 that day. Zion’s mom, Maria, was feeding his newborn sister in the bedroom while his father, David, marinated steaks nearby in the kitchen. It was a day meant for celebration and long-awaited fun, but it took an unfortunate turn that no one could’ve predicted.
Maria finished nursing her daughter and walked back into the living room. “When I came out I said, ‘Where’s Zion?’ before looking at the back door to see that it was cracked open,” Maria recalled.“
At that time, I just ran out and I found him floating in the pool,” Maria continued. “I just pulled him out and started CPR.”
Due to the pandemic, Zion and his family were spending a great deal of their summer swimming in the family pool; however, Zion still required a life jacket anytime he was in or near the water, as he hadn’t learned to swim on his own yet. Maria believes that Zion jumped into the water unaware he would sink without the aid of his life jacket, which he wasn’t wearing at the time of the accident.
Zion sits comfortably in his brand new P-Pod chair specifically designed for children with neurological and physical impairments.
Maria credits her training as a corrections facility officer for her ability to perform CPR and give her son the best chance of survival.
“When I pulled him out he was blue, not responsive. I thought he was gone,” she said, recalling the grueling minutes she spent trying to revive Zion. “Although truthfully he was gone clinically for probably 25 minutes since he didn’t get his heartbeat back until the ambulance arrived.”
After Zion arrived at the hospital, doctors gave him less than a 1 percent chance of living after he was placed on life support in an induced coma. He struggled and fought for the next 58 days, defying doctors' predictions and ultimately coming off life support.
Now, 10 months after his injury, Zion is doing amazingly well for a kid who wasn’t supposed to make it through the night. He’s smiling, communicating, and doing his best to regain functions he had already mastered once before.
“We would like a P-Pod chair for Zion so that he can sit comfortably with the family and not have to keep him in bed or his wheelchair for too long,” Maria had written to us.
Even though Zion’s family has health insurance, the insurance company will cover only the bare minimum cost of the wheelchair and refuses to fund any other seating devices. This is a devastating and unfair reality many families like Zion’s are faced with every day.
Holton’s Heroes was thrilled to be able to gift this expensive adaptable chair to Zion so he can rejoin his family anywhere—inside or outside—they decide to go. Now, thanks to our amazing donors, Zion has an incredible seating option for his home and beyond.
As the warmer weather approaches, swimming is a favorite past time for millions people around the country, as it’s something people of all ages can participate in. However, it’s important to be aware of the dangers associated with any body of water. Here’s a link to Swimming Safety Tips by the American Red Cross.
“It’s really amazing and inspiring how you turned your son’s injury into really helping others.”
“Tonight, we feel the power of humanity in a bath chair. Go figure. Some people feel excited about cars and other luxuries, but here I am just wanting my boy to be bathed safely,” Joshua mom wrote to us after her son received his gift from Holton’s Heroes.