By EMS1 Staff
BOISE, Idaho — A 4-year-old is expected to make a full recovery after surviving a motor vehicle crash that left him internally decapitated.
Killian Gonzales and his mother, Brandy Gonzales, were driving when ice on the road caused the vehicle to skid out of control and crash into another car last week, reported KBOI2.
A police officer and his wife witnessed the crash and were the first on scene, where they found the two trapped in the car. The officer smashed the back window of the vehicle to reach the child and guided his wife to hold Gonzales’ head in place for over half an hour until paramedics arrived.
Killian sustained an internal decapitation, an injury to the ligaments which attach the skull base to the spinal column. Less than one percent of patients survive the injury.
“I’m trying to stay calm but inside I’m panicking. I’m thinking I don’t know what I’m doing, and it was the worst feeling I’ve ever had to not know how to help,” Leah Woodward, the officer’s wife, said.
Killian was transported to a local hospital, and although he ruptured his spleen, broke his arm and multiple ribs, he is awake, eating, walking and sitting up. He did not have surgery.
“She saved my baby, she gave him back,” Gonzales said of Woodward.
Brandy Gonzales was transported to a neighboring hospital, and hasn’t seen her son since the accident. She fractured her ankle, arm, femur and tibia.
“It’s just so hard because I’m in the same town and I haven’t been able to see him. It’s just hard knowing he’s in so much pain and I can’t be there,” she said.
“No mom should lose their child and she gets to have her boy. That’s really awesome,” Woodward said.
4-year-old boy who was internally decapitated, expected to make a full recovery. Mother says chance of survival < 1% pic.twitter.com/ZBftcIlcN5
— Sierra Oshrin (@SierraKBOI) June 3, 2016