California teen paralyzed after diving into pool during Maui 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 rehabilitation process. His medical team and insurance company are working through the complicated logistics of getting him home, with the possibility of additional treatment in Hawaii before he returns to the mainland.

The accident is particularly heartbreaking because Brayden had been preparing for an entirely different future. The recent high school graduate had enlisted in the Army and was waiting to begin boot camp. He was slated to train as a drone specialist.

Now, his family is facing a future filled with surgeries, rehabilitation and medical expenses, while his mother may need to take time away from work to care for him.

The GoFundMe campaign was launched to help pay for the air ambulance, medical treatment, rehabilitation and other costs associated with Brayden’s life-altering injury.

His family said the support and prayers they have received have helped them through the ordeal.

“Life has forever changed for our family in an instant,” they wrote.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Brayden’s recovery, his loved ones remain determined to help him regain as much independence and function as possible.

“We will get my son back to functioning on his own one day,” his family wrote. “What that looks like, we don’t know but we are in it together.”

For now, the family is focused on one goal, getting the young man home to California and beginning the long road to recovery.

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