In September of 2021, when William was just 2 years old he suffered an accidental drowning after entering the family’s swimming pool.

Prior to the accident, William’s parents had taken the necessary precautions to better prepare him for life with a backyard pool. They enrolled him in swim lessons when he was an infant, he wasn’t permitted to be in or near water without adult supervision, etc. They never in a million years fathomed that William would be one of the 8,000 nonfatal drownings that occur in the US every year.

“My husband and I both thought that he was in the room with us but William had gone out a door and got into the pool,” William’s mom Kera recalls. “He did know how to swim to the degree that he could go off the pool step and swim out a little before turning back and kick himself to the side. We think that because he was wearing a diaper that it prevented him from getting his head above water that day.”

The family’s GoFundme states that William was without a heartbeat for approximately 45 minutes before medical staff was able to get it back. While doctors weren’t optimistic about William making it through the night, he beat the odds and was able to survive with the help of a ventilator. Now, a year and a half later, William’s parents have provided him with incredible opportunities to recover through medicinal, physical and occupational therapies.

Due to the severity of the anoxic brain injury, William currently requires a g-tube to eat and a tracheostomy tube to assist with his breathing, as he’s not able to appropriately protect his airways. Of course, these major hurdles don’t stop William’s parents from trying to give him the most fulfilling life possible, keeping him very active and showering him with love.

William takes his first flight using the new portable oxygen concentrator gifted by Holton’s Heroes.

Unfortunately, because William and his family live in a rural part of California, they often have to travel far distances for him to receive his various treatments, all of which are necessary for his recovery. While insurance supplied his family with an oxygen concentrator for the home, they denied purchasing a model for the family that would allow William to travel.

“Insurance would not cover a portable oxygen concentrator for William even though he has a prescription and orders from his pulmonologist,” Kera wrote on Facebook.

Holton’s Heroes stepped in, working with the family and William’s medical team to purchase an expensive travel oxygen concentrator with extra batteries so he can get to where he needs to be — albeit therapy, a family vacation, or a trip to the mall.

“I am just so appreciative of what you all have done for our family. Words just can't express how thankful we are for what you've done for our son.” Kera Stebbins wrote to us after her son William received the brand new portable oxygen concentrator from Holton’s Heroes.

This powerful device will allow William to travel farther distances and receive a much larger array of therapies. Since receiving the new concentrator, William’s been able to travel to receive new rounds of stem cell therapy and visit various intensive therapies in Texas. Thanks to all of the amazing supporters of our nonprofit, William’s journey is limitless now.

We are only able to continue to help kids recovering from brain injuries with your personal support. Please consider making a tax-deductible gift directly to our foundation today. You can donate safely here.

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