Life can certainly change in the blink of an eye. Evan Parker, a young dad living in Georgia, was the victim of a freak workplace accident that has changed everything forever. While Parker, an arborist, was working on a tree, a branch fell on him. The 25-pound branch could have killed him, but thankfully he survived. Sadly, though, he is now paralyzed from the neck down. His family remains by his side as he moves into the unknown, but it is not without major burdens. Parker’s accident has changed the lives of his entire family, but it’s clear his community is going to show up to support them through it.
The horrifying incident took place on February 20, 2026, WSB-TV reported. Currently, the 21-year-old is hospitalized at Northside Gwinnett Hospital, where he will receive medical care and rehabilitation. Based on the severity of his injuries, his road to recovery will be long.
“In an instant, everything changed — he was left paralyzed from the shoulders down,” friend Jake Richardson said.
Parker’s mom, Kesha Guzman, told WSBTV that when the dead tree branch fell, it crushed his neck. Had her son not been wearing a helmet at the time of his accident, he’d likely be dead.
“It’s the hardest word hearing paralyzed and quadriplegic,” she said. “No one ever expects this, and when this happens you have to hold yourself together,” his father, Laren Parker, added.
Guzman explained that her son has limited health insurance, and in addition to the mounting medical bills, they will need to make everything more accessible at home. “None of our homes are wheelchair accessible or have wide doors or anything,” she told WSB-TV.
Despite what is going to be a long time of very hard work, Laren Parker said his son is committed to making the best of his situation.
“He took the ventilator out and that’s the first thing he said, ‘I’m ready to go work again, I’m ready to climb,’” he told 11 Alive. “And I said, ‘Boy, you’re crazy,’ but hey, if he wants to climb, you let him climb, but we’re going to climb to recovery.”
“Evan is one of the best people you could ask to work with. He’s a hard-working man who will push as hard as ever possibly needed to provide for his family,” Dakota Roberts, owner of Southern Roots Tree Service, told the outlet.
Even though Parker was working with someone else at the time of the accident, Roberts has committed to donating 5 to 10% of his sales to him and his family.
“Years ago Evan found out his loving girlfriend was pregnant with their beautiful baby boy. Evan knew he had to do something bigger to provide for his family. He came to me and asked for work so I let him split firewood,” Roberts shared. “Over time I let him work some tree jobs with me and also got him in connection with some other people to work with as well.”
According to everyone who knows him, Evan Parker is most committed to being a dad. He and his girlfriend share an almost 2-year-old son.
“The first thing I think of is, Evan’s a father, a father to an almost 2-year-old,” family friend Kristy Jones told WNAF.
His girlfriend, Idalys, told the outlet that she’s still in shock and processing everything that’s happening.
A GoFundMe account has been set up for Evan Parker and his family as they begin this long and very difficult road forward. The fundraiser describes him as “someone who lives life to the fullest.”
“Evan’s journey ahead will be challenging,” the page reads. “He will need extensive medical care, ongoing rehabilitation, and specialized mobility equipment to help him adapt to his new reality.”
