A 15-year-old boy’s lungs collapsed after he accidentally fell on a picnic table in a Minnesota park, according to PEOPLE. The freak accident happened around 5 PM on June 10. Jayden Balk and his friend were visiting Valley View Park in Byron when it happened.
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15-Year-Old’s Picnic Table Accident Led To His Lungs Collapsing
Balk’s dad, Jordan Kimball, told PEOPLE he heard that his son stood up and tripped, falling right on the corner of the picnic table. The injury occurred near Balk’s Adam’s apple, blocking his airway.
“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,” said Kimball. “That’s how his airway got blocked.”
Kimball described his son’s accident as “a freak of all freak accidents.” The father was able to learn about the incident from his son, who used a whiteboard to explain what happened. This was because Balk couldn’t speak after the severe injury.
Although Balk seemed fine after the slip, he quickly realized something was wrong. The teen wasn’t able to swallow water and had to spit it out. Kimball said his son described it as feeling something stuck in his throat.
Balk’s friend was unable to call 911 since he was having phone issues, so Balk decided to find help himself. The injured teen ran to the home of a family he knew that lived nearby.
Kimball said the dad of the home was just about to complete some yard work when he noticed Balk “struggling.” The teen was lucky that a family friend was at the home, and she was a nurse.
The nurse friend administered CPR as the family waited for emergency responders to arrive. As soon as they arrived, they inserted a tube down Balk’s throat as his lungs had collapsed.
Kimball described how grateful he was that people were able to help his son so fast. “If it wasn’t for the quick responses from everyone that helped Jayden at the park, he very well may not be here today,” he said.
The Aftermath And Quick Recovery
Unfortunately, Kimball and his partner, Autumn Noble, had a feeling something was wrong. Before the sheriff came to their door to give them the shocking news, they had already read of an incident at the park on Facebook.
“The look on his face just… I don’t know,” Kimball recalled. The sheriff informed them their son was involved in an accident, but he didn’t have many details. They quickly arrived at Mayo Clinic’s St. Mary’s Campus in Rochester to find Balk in critical condition.
Fortunately, doctors assured the duo that Balk was in recovery. Kimball remembered how terrifying it was to see Balk for the first time since he was injured. “Scariest sight for a parent,” said the father. “I’m not even sure how to explain it. Emotions were all over the place.”
Balk managed to open his eyes four hours later, and his step-mom stayed by his side for all nine days he was recovering in the ICU. Kimball said he was grateful for that, as it was difficult to watch his son in pain. “But she stood right there holding his hand every moment through the ICU process,” he said.
The doctors were able to remove Balk’s chest tubes one week after his surgery. Now, he can breathe on his own and is closer to a full recovery than ever before. Still, Balk has “a long road” ahead, as the family described in their GoFundMe. The fundraiser to help with Balk’s medical expenses has since raised nearly $4,000.