In an instant, everything seemed lost for David Wages. He received a knock on the door May 24 and was informed his 14-year-old son, Brody, was dead as a result of a 4-wheeler accident. But a few minutes later, his phone rang with the news that Brody was not dead and instead was en route to Marion General Hospital where he would be airlifted to University Medical Center in Jackson to be treated for catastrophic injuries.
Brody was riding on an ATV with two of his friends near the intersection of Dyke’s Cutoff Road and Old Highway 24 on that fateful day. David said the truck was pulling out of a driveway onto the highway the teenagers were traveling on. The ATV struck the rear wheel on the passenger side, sucking the 4-wheeler into the truck. The ATV struck Brody on the head before he was thrown nearly 90 feet down the road.
While the other two teenagers had relatively minor injuries in comparison — one spent two days in the hospital for a broken leg and back fractures — Brody’s status is much more pressing. He suffered a brain bleed that caused swelling and required a catheter, two broken collarbones, three broken ribs, a broken rib and a punctured lung.
Brody is making progress, though, after spending the past month at UMC. David said his son is alert, making hand gestures, breathing on his own and even had the catheter removed from his brain.
“He’s doing a lot better. He’s wide awake. He went down to the step-down unit on the second floor last week and got the trach and tube out of his head. He’s making progress and is in therapy now,” David said. “He’s getting there, but he’s going to need a lot of physical therapy.”
David reported, however, that Brody is forced to his right side more because his entire left side is not moving like it should. Still, Brody’s doctors are hopeful for a full recovery as he improves every day.
When David was informed of the accident, he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“I lost it. Someone had pulled up to my house and told me my son died. It was just a feeling I don’t want ever, ever,” he recalled. “Another person called me and told me he was on the way to Marion General.”
The accident has been the toughest thing David has ever been through in his life.
“My gut has been retching and retching and tight until he went down to the step-down unit and got out of the ICU. It’s released a little bit,” he said. “You just don’t think this stuff will happen to you then, ‘Bam!’ It happens to you.”
David is very thankful for the support his family has received and said Brody “is shaking back” due to all of the prayers.
“I appreciate everybody,” he said.
Brody turned 14 years old just 12 days before the accident and was excited about his freshman year at West Marion High School, where he had recently made the varsity basketball and archery teams.
David and Brody’s grandparents have been by the teenager’s side since Day 1, and David said they aren’t leaving until Brody is released from the hospital. Because of that, David, a plumber for 98 East Water Association, has had to take an extended leave of absence with no end date in sight, and Brody’s grandmother was forced to retire.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the family with $6,504 being raised for a goal of $15,000. However, no donations had been made in the nine days prior to press deadline Tuesday. The fundraiser states, “We’re asking for donations, so that during this difficult time, (David) can sit by his son's side without worry of the lack of income. Not only has David had to pay for hotel stays already since this occurred, but the everyday life bills do not stop. The amount of medical bills that will be coming in as well, will be very overwhelming and difficult to pay while out of work. Even with working, they will be super difficult to pay due to the amount that is incurring.
“We ask for donations to help this family out in this time. So that while they are worrying about Brody, we can try to eliminate some of the extra worries of life.”
David added he has a simple message for parents and children: “Keep your kids close and your family even closer because you don’t know when it’s going to happen. And please, please, wear a helmet when you ride ATVs and not on any highways or roads.”
