A 15-year-old suffered from a collapsed lung after colliding with a picnic table in a park. His family says staff at the Mayo Clinic saved his life after the freak accident.
According to a report by KIMT, Jayden Balk tripped at Valley View Park in Minnesota on June 10. The teen managed to sever 95 percent of his airway below his Adam’s apple. His father, Jordan Kimball, told the outlet his son knew something was wrong when he tried to drink water, but it wouldn’t go down. Fortunately, Balk knew a family close to the park and ran there for help. His father praised bystanders who offered first aid, saying, “All the right people were in the right place that day.”
Per a report by People, Kimball believes his son was at a picnic table in the park. He allegedly got up, slipped, and struck the edge of the table with his throat as he fell. He told the outlet, “He was just simply sitting down, and when he went to go stand up, he tripped and he fell into the corner of the picnic table. That’s how his airway got blocked.”
The Teen’s Father Calls The Incident “A Freak Accident”
Kimball said, “It was a freak of all freak accidents,” and explained that the incident almost claimed his son’s life. He also said that his son had to write on a whiteboard to describe what happened, as he cannot speak.
A family friend had reportedly arrived at the house before the incident. She is a nurse at the Mayo Clinic and administered CPR. His father claims emergency services inserted a tube into the teen’s throat because his lungs had collapsed.
Jayden’s family has set up a GoFundMe to help with medical expenses. The fundraiser explains that the teen has been in the ICU since he was admitted. “With all of the treatments, surgery’s, etc. the last thing we want our family to worry about during this time is covering the cost of these medical expenses,” the post reads. At the time of writing, the fundraiser has raised $4220 of its $25k target.
According to People, Balk’s father says his son’s biggest battle will be regaining his voice. Doctors have reportedly warned him that it could take months if he regains it at all.