North Texas teenager shatters spine in freak accident when diving in pool to escape wasp

A 13-year-old is paralyzed after shattering his spine in an accident in a North Texas community pool in June, his family said on their GoFundMe page.

The teen, identified by his family as Semyon “SJ” Williams Jr., dove or flipped headfirst into the pool while running away from a wasp, his family said.

Williams told his family that all he remembered after the jump was floating face down in the pool, unable to move and swallowing water.

According to the GoFundMe, Williams’ friends thought he was just playing, but quickly realized something was wrong and went to get help.

Williams was taken by ambulance from the swimming pool in Frisco to Children’s Health hospital in Dallas.

Doctors told his family he had fractured two vertebrae in his neck and suffered a spinal cord injury.

Williams underwent surgery to stabilize the fractures on the same day he arrived at the children’s hospital.

His mother, who has two other sons, said she has had to leave her job to be with SJ.

”The reality is, this is a long road. This is going to be a marathon for us and we have to support him and be with him every step of the way,” Williams’ grandfather Louis Camper told KXAS-TV.

So far, the family’s GoFundMe has raised almost half of its $100,000 goal.