A mother was left horrified after seeing her son's brain on the ground following a freak accident.
Nearly a year after a horrific incident left their teenage son with a life-threatening brain injury, the Jedwabny family is reflecting on the terrifying ordeal and the miraculous recovery that followed.
On July 9, 2024, 15-year-old Brett Jedwabny was helping to power wash the family home in Appleton, Wisconsin, when the equipment cart's tire exploded, NBC26 reported.
The blast shattered his eye socket and sent debris into his brain, severely damaging his right frontal lobe. His mother, Nicole, found him on the ground and rushed to dial 911.
“She was just screaming, ‘He's gone. He's dead. His brains are all over,’” her husband, Tyler, a 44-year-old real estate agent, recalled, per PEOPLE.
Already at work, Tyler frantically called his wife and tried to reach Brett’s brother before realizing the gravity of the situation.
A waiting rescue team transferred the teen to a local hospital, but the real lifesaver arrived when a cancer patient gave up his craniotomy slot, allowing surgeons to operate immediately. “Those sheer seconds saved his life,” Tyler said.
With a section of skull removed to relieve pressure, the teen was then flown to Milwaukee Children’s Hospital.
The prognosis was grim; following a sleepless night, doctors urged the family to say their goodbyes. “That just crushes your soul,” the dad shared.
But facing the impossible, Brett survived past the 24-hour mark, which left his doctor stunned. “She could find no medical reason to explain why he had survived,” Tyler said.
Over the next 10 months, Brett underwent inpatient rehabilitation - from Milwaukee to the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago, then to the Ronald McDonald House. Finally, in May 2025, the now-16-year-old returned home in a celebratory fire-engine escort.
“He knew to say thank you to each and every one of them,” Tyler said, inspired by his son's gratitude.
Though Brett still depends on a feeding tube and has limited mobility on his left side, he managed to take two steps at home, bringing tears and hope to his family.
On May 29, Nicole brought him to a school meeting, ready for questions, but instead found a heartwarming scene: classmates greeted her son.
“I was nervous about what people or friends would say,” Nicole, a former elementary school teacher, admitted. “We were welcomed with a big sign on the computer board.”
His best friend and teammates from the high school fishing club joined in. “They realize he isn’t the same Brett, but made him fit right in,” Nicole said. “They accept him and are just so happy he’s still alive.”
While the injury has changed him physically and made him more open about his thoughts, his parents say his essence remains unchanged. “He’s still the same ‘old soul’ - and funnier than ever," they shared.
Reflecting on the past year, Tyler shared a lesson born of trauma and triumph: “Watching your son make the strides that he's made proves that you can't really have a bad day. He doesn't allow it. He doesn't allow bad days. He just keeps working hard to try to get as much ability as he can back.”