California teen left paralyzed after horrific pool accident on Hawaiian vacation

What began as a carefree Hawaiian getaway turned into a cruel nightmare for a California teenager who suffered a devastating spinal cord injury after diving into a hotel pool.Brayden Serrano, 18, had only just graduated from high school and was preparing to leave for Army boot camp when a split-second decision during a Maui wedding trip changed his life, per Fox 11.The teen, whose mother is an LAPD sergeant, was hanging out at the Hawaiian hotel pool with friends when he dove headfirst into the water and slammed his head into the bottom.Brayden was left unable to move his arms or legs.A friend initially thought the motionless teenager might be fooling around.But when Brayden remained facedown and still, his friend jumped into the pool and discovered that 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 unnamed 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 a spinal fusion to stabilize his neck.Brayden has undergone two surgeries, which his family described as successful.

But the road ahead remains daunting.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.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 rehabilitati...