The #TRexStrong Movement Has Been Life Changing

Levi, affectionately known as "Beans," Wright comes from one of rodeos' most well-known families. Three-year-old Levi drove his toy tractor into a river in Beaver, Utah, on Tuesday, May 21. George Humphreys, fire chief of Beaver County, found the boy about a mile downstream from his home. The Beaver County Sheriff's Office administered life-saving measures on-scene. The Beaver Ambulance transported Levi to Beaver Valley Hospital, where Life Flight arrived to airlift the child to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City. The energetic young boy sustained a major brain injury from the near-drowning accident. Although his situation remains very touch-and-go, the toddler continues to show unmatched strength and perseverance.

The initial update from Levi's mom, Kallie, appeared grim. She emotionally shared on May 22 that they planned to stop care, but a change in hospital staff sparked some hope. The doctor on staff at Primary Children's Hospital "felt strongly that we [the Wright family] needed to give him more time." Levi received his first EEG on Wednesday. Initially declared brain dead, he awoke from his coma on Thursday. While "waking up" does not mean that he gained coherence, it gave the Wright family and staff at Primary Children's another dose of hope. The results from an MRI on the following day, however, read rather negatively. Nevertheless, Levi's team decided to try to match the 3-year-old's will and remain steadfast in finding the best treatments and therapies.

The support for Levi has manifested in the #TRexStrong movement. Like many kids his age, he has an obsession with all things dinosaurs—specifically, the T-rex. His innocent preoccupation with T-rexes has now evolved into something that begins to help explain why tragedies like this occur.

Levi's story reached a small village in Uganda. The Evangelist Nsubuga Ibrhahim's fellowship school of the Kioogwa village heard of the tragedy and felt moved. The school dedicated their in-school prayers to him on Friday, May 24. They also dedicated their Sunday services to the boy. Seeing a community in need of the most basic necessities shows absolute selflessness, resulting in an abundance of donations. Donations not only provide the school with the ability to maintain itself and provide education, but they also enable ministry leaders to administer care to the orphans of Kioogwa and host Sunday church. Because Levi's story reached a remote Ugandan village, they, in turn, received vital donations. Now, one begins to see the importance and far-reaching ability of the #TRexStrong movement.

The Wright family, in the midst of their own nightmare, asked supporters of the #TRexStrong movement to extend their support to 3-year-old Taysen Baum. Taysen Baum's seemingly benign ear infection turned into a rare form of meningitis, causing sepsis. Levi and Taysen found themselves roomed across from each other at Primary Children's. While the Levi Wright Benefit Auction on Facebook works to lighten the financial burden of Levi's critical care, Kallie shared a GoFundMe and Venmo for Taysen Baum and his family. Once again, because of Levi's tragedy, a relationship formed between two families bonded by heartache. The scope of Levi's story and the #TRexStrong movement allows Taysen and his family also to feel the effects.

Levi received his second EEG and awaits a second MRI. The next benchmark involves getting the sweet boy to breathe independently. The immediate effects of the Wright story give every indication that we are only seeing the beginning of a larger picture. The tragedy has already prompted people to reprioritize their lives. The Levi Wright - Benefit Auction & Updates provides followers of Levi's story with the most up-to-date information. Lucky Dog Productions created a "T-Rex Strong for Levi" sidepot at their upcoming Memphis, Tenn., barrel race. Fifty percent of the entry fee goes directly to benefit Levi and his family. The Ruby Buckle will also host a benefit barrel race on June 30, following their event in South Jordan, Utah. You can also show your support for Levi Wright, with the purchase of T-Rex Strong hats and shirts as well.