Utah father encourages water safety after pool accident leaves him paralyzed

ALPINE, Utah — What was purported to be a day of celebration shortly become a day of uncertainty after Spencer Brown hit his head on the backside of the pool. 

Household was gathered to have fun his current commencement from NYU with a pool celebration on July 29, 2021. He and his spouse had simply introduced their third child was on the best way. Spencer had a slice of cake to eat earlier than leaping off the diving board, head first.

“I can keep in mind hitting my head and pondering, ‘Okay, it’s time to swim to get out’,” he mentioned. “My mind was sending the alerts, however nothing moved.”

His spouse, Ellis, didn’t see the dive, however recollects seeing Spencer floating face down within the pool.

“I heard my dad yelling his title again and again. I seemed within the pool and I simply knew one thing was mistaken,” she mentioned.

She jumped into the pool and received her husband’s head above water to assist him breath. Different members of the family shortly jumped in to assist her. A cousin, who’s finding out to grow to be a neurosurgeon, advised the group to maintain Spencer floating on his again within the water to forestall additional damage as they waited for paramedics to reach.

“I’d have by no means thought to try this. I’d assume to get somebody on to a tough, flat floor in case they wanted CPR,” Ellis mentioned. “However I’m so glad we listened, in any other case we most likely would have achieved additional injury to Spencer’s neck.” 

He was rushed to the hospital the place a MRI confirmed a C3-C6 spinal wire damage, one which usually impacts an individual’s airways. Medical doctors advised the couple a majority of individuals with this damage die nearly instantly. The couple considers Spencer’s case a miracle.

“We had been so near dropping him,” Ellis mentioned. “We’re simply so grateful every thing occurred the best way it did.”

After every week within the ICU and three months in remedy, Spencer is defying all odds and strolling slowly with crutches.

“I’ll almost definitely by no means be again to regular,” Spencer mentioned. “That is my new physique that I’ve adopted and also you simply hope and pray that increasingly more comes every day.”

The couple’s mission is to now remind others to watch out within the water. They encourage anybody swimming this summer season to have a delegated lifeguard at household events.

“You possibly can rotate somebody each 20 minutes. Have them put on a bright-colored piece of clothes so that individuals know to not distract them when they’re on shift,” Ellis mentioned. “Additionally, have a basket close by with a totally charged telephone in case somebody must name 9-1-1.”

They counsel having two adults in or close to the water in case of an emergency. If one grownup begins drowning, they are saying you’ll be able to’t rely on children to avoid wasting you.

“If I’d have achieved the identical dive and been left there within the pool my two younger daughters, they’d have discovered me lifeless within the water,” Spencer mentioned.

The couple hopes their message prevents an damage like this from occurring to another person. 

“The issues that you simply suppose are by no means going to occur to you generally finally ends up changing into your new actuality,” Ellis mentioned.