Jay Simpson shortly after his accident (left) and recovering today.Photo:Courtesy of Rebecca Paro
Courtesy of Rebecca Paro
Rebecca Paro and Dakota Simpson’s son, 7-year-old Jay, was spending Christmas Day at his dad’s when their lives were forever changed. Jay was getting ready to go dirt biking with his dad, their favorite way to pass free time for the last two years. Jay watched as his dad hooked the trailer up to his truck. They then went to Jay’s grandparents' home to load up the trailer.
Jay was aware he shouldn’t touch anything without an adult present, but as his dad briefly turned back to his truck to grab his jacket, Jay attempted to let down the spoiler ramp.
PEOPLE spoke with Paro and her sister,Emily Bowden, about the accident.
“It’s a 265-lb. ramp,” Bowden explains. “It came down on him and he cowered and tried to cover his head a little bit, which might have saved his life. His dad came and pulled the ramp off of him and put him in the truck and called my sister on the way to the hospital.”
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“I instinctively told Jay’s dad to pull over and call 911, that Jay should not be moved anymore because it sounded like he suffered a serious back injury, and that is exactly what he did. An ambulance met them at a church somewhere along the way,” the mom tells PEOPLE.
Simpson was just a half-hour from a hospital, while Paro was 55 minutes away. The whole time, the worried mom had thoughts firing rapidly. Her sister stayed on the phone with her as she made her way there.
“My sister called me just after the accident happened. It was just after 3:00 p.m. on Christmas. She had called me earlier in the day sad because both her boys were with their dads. All I heard on the second call was, ‘Jay was in an accident,’ " Bowden shares.
Jay Simpson in the hospital after his accident.Courtesy of Rebecca Paro
“I ended up calling one of my friends to watch my girls while I left. I was in disbelief. It’s been really emotional, especially the first three days because I think we were all just holding on to hope that It wasn’t as bad as what it was, even though we saw theX-raysand we knew that it was pretty bad. It was really heavy for everybody to accept that so much in his life is going to change.”
Paro raced to the hospital, even beating Jay’s arrival as she emotionally navigated providing information and other logistics.
“All you want to do when you receive news of that nature and you’re far away is immediately rush to your child’s side and take care of them. That is exactly what I did and where I have stayed since,” she says.
“Jay was in a lot of pain and sick from the morphine. Once we arrived, the medical team in Dallas jumped into action has has continued to give Jay the best possible medical care available,” Paro says.
Jay Simpson’s spine after his accident.Courtesy of Rebecca Paro
“I’ve kept on a brave face around Jay, but I didn’t realize how upset I was until shortly after we arrived to Children’s. They took Jay for an MRI and I wasn’t able to go into the room with him due to my Loop Implant Heart Monitor, so I was left alone in the waiting room,” she recalls.
“It was then that a million emotions hit me all at once and I vomited in a trash can. The uncertainty of what’s happening, what’s to come, and the helplessness you feel of not being able to give your child anything in that moment other than a reassuring presence, is so incredibly heavy,” she adds.
Jay was determined to have traumatic fracturs of his T12 and L1 vertebrae and traumatic edema of both the lumbar and thoracic spinal cord. He spent five days in the ICU, with the family being told he’d have to wait at least a week for emergency surgery. They also were told it would likely take a series of surgeries to realign Jay’s spine.
“By the grace of God, Dr. Brett Whittemore, MD, Pediatric Neurosurgery, came in off holiday for one day and successfully realigned Jay’s spine in one seven-hour-long surgery, placing screws and rods along Jay’s spinal column and fusing the vertebrae for stability,” Paro says.
Jay Simpson’s spine after surgery.Courtesy of Rebecca Paro
While the surgery was a success, they confirmed that the damage done to Jay’s spinal cord was irreversible.
“He is unable to feel any sensation below the waist, resulting in a condition called ‘neurogenic bladder’ and ‘neurogenic bowel,’ which means his spinal cord injury has disrupted the nerve signals that tell the brain when the bladder or bowel is full, resulting in a lack of sensation regarding the need to urinate or defecate.”
Throughout it all, Jay has been immensely brave. For a few days, the confused 7-year-old feared the worst.
“In those first few days, Jay didn’t really say anything. At one point, my mom was in the room alone with Jay and asked him, ‘Are you okay?’ And he told her he thought he was going to die,” Bowden shares.
Jay Simpson in the hospital with a therapy dog.Courtesy of Rebecca Paro
“It wasn’t a concern he expressed to anybody and nobody had any idea he was thinking that. My mom’s like, ‘Jay, you’re not going to die today. You’re okay.’ He got emotional about not being able to feel his legs and my mom explained his injury and how it works to him. He’s just so little and so confused.”
Their new normal presents challenges for the family, who are not only acclimating to Jay’s new mobility needs, but also have to learn how to keep his digestive health intact.
“We still have a lot to learn. Doctors are still trying to find the best regimen to keep Jay’s tummy comfortable. If things don’t keep moving steadily for him on a daily basis his health could take a dive, so learning this new norm for Jay is essential for everyone involved hands-on with his care,” Paro says.
“There will be a reassessment on the ASIA scale once there’s been a sufficient amount of time for spinal shock to subside, likely in about six months or so.”
Jay Simpson enjoys a visit with his family at the hospital.Courtesy of Rebecca Paro
Jay remains in the hospital, where he is in the Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU). He spends his days undergoing various therapies including physical, occupational, music, play and psychological therapy. The children’s hospital also offers fun activities to keep patient’s spirits high.
“They work with him daily to try and help him gain core strength and balance and be able to do daily tasks with his upper body, like transferring himself to his wheelchair and dressing himself. He also does something called standing therapy, which activates his lower body muscles to help prevent atrophy. The therapy schedule keeps his mind really busy and he does look forward to the sessions,” Bowden says.
Jay was recently given a projected release date of Feb. 4, 2025. The family, as well as the Linden, Texas, community that has rallied around them, are excited to welcome Jay home.
“He’s been fitted for his ownwheelchairand members of our community have come together and are working on building a ramp for him at my sister’s house,” Bowden says.
Jay Simpson participating in therapy.Courtesy of Rebecca Paro
“We live in a tiny town, Linden, Texas. It’s honestly remarkable how big and mighty a small town seems because of how people have come together. There have been bake sales, a pancake breakfast. There’s a benefit coming up with an auction and a raffle.”
The entire family is feeling a lot of big feelings about the road ahead and what the changes in their lives will look like.
“Jay has some significant emotions he’s working through, and some days are easier than others. After his release is when the real work begins. Jay will be in outpatient therapy and he will have to continue a home-based educational program until deemed ready to return to public school,” Paro says.
Bowden adds, “It makes me sad because he’s only 7 and every 7-year-old little boy just wants to get up and they want to run and they want to play and just thinking that he’s not going to be able to do those things. It makes me very sad for him. I worry about his mental state. I don’t want him to be depressed and I don’t want him to be discouraged.”
“It’s been also hard on his little brother because his little brother isn’t getting time with Mom all the time. My mom is really helping with my other nephew and keeping him busy, but he misses his brother,” she continues. “I think that they, collectively as a family, are just eager to get to the point where they can all go and be in the comfort of their own home, no matter what that looks like.”
Jay Simpson.Courtesy of Rebecca Paro
Paro notes, “There will be lots of changes at home and school both, to accommodate Jay’s new permanent needs.”
As they prepare for what’s ahead, Bowden asked her sister for her permission to share Jay’s story on TikTok, hoping to alert people to the family’sGoFundMeand also raise awareness that these accidents can happen to anyone.
“Insurance takes care of a lot, but it won’t cover certain things he will need moving forward. We’re just trying to get as many things together to raise money because we don’t know what these medical bills will look like,” Bowden notes.
“She has leave from work for 12 weeks and without pay. His dad works to help on his end, but that means he can’t see Jay as much as he’d like. And we’re also trying to discover and reach out to more existing resources.”
Jay Simpson in the hospital on New Year’s Eve.Courtesy of Rebecca Paro
Paro is grateful for the outpouring of support her community has provided at this unthinkable time.
“I do not think I will ever be able to find the words to fully express my gratitude to our community and their commitment to Jay’s recovery. Jay really has an entire village of thousands praying for him, as well as the rest of our family, and the support is immensely appreciated,” she says.
“Even my employer, the Cass County Sheriff’s Office, has been incredibly supportive of the time I’ve taken to stay with Jay during all of this and I am just so grateful to work for such an amazing entity. We have taken this time to lean on God, lean on our loved ones and our community, and we fully believe in the power of prayer alongside Jay’s incredible medical team.”
Jay Simpson smiles in his wheelchair.Courtesy of Rebecca Paro
“It’s been amazing to see that people care. It’s just overwhelming how many people have jumped right into action in our community to be there for Jay,” Bowden adds.
Of the TikTok community checking in for Bowden’s updates on Jay, she says, “It’s been wonderful that we’ve reached so many people. Others with kids who have spinal injuries have reached out and their words are encouraging and helpful.”
She continues, “I’ve had other creators on TikTok with spinal injuries who are like, ‘I’ll do a video call with Jay.’ It’s good he’ll be able to see somebody else who is in a wheelchair or with a spinal injury, who is living and thriving. I think that for him at this stage, I think that’s really important.”
source: people.com
