The grieving family of a 14-year-old boy, who passed away after almost drowning at the Oceans of Fun water park in Kansas City, Missouri, are sharing their boy's final days in a heartbreaking post online. Trey Wallace went on a field trip to the park with a church group last week and got sucked underwater while in the wave pool. Wallace was rescued by strangers and taken to the hospital where he was treated, but after days on a ventilator, he has quietly died, according to multiple outlets.
The teen was visiting the water park with his youth group on August 24, in celebration of his upcoming birthday on August 28.
Fox 4 KC reports that the group had traveled all the way from Stockton, Kansas, to Oceans of Fun August 24 before the tragedy unfolded. Witnesses at the scene reported that Wallace went under at the wave pool at the park and then struggled to rise above the water's surface.
At 4:43 p.m., park officials responded to a “distressed guest” in the water, an earlier report from Fox 4 KC noted. But it was two strangers who dove into the pool and ultimately pulled Wallace from the water. Once they got the boy onto land, a lifeguard performed CPR on him. The Kanas City Fire Department transported the boy to Children's Mercy Hospital, where he was placed on a ventilator.
Things took an even worse turn on August 30, however, when an MRI scan revealed that the nearly 15-year-old had become brain dead.
"Tonight an MRI confirmed that Trey’s brain no longer is functioning and cannot sustain his life," an update from a Facebook page created by the Wallace family shared.
But even in that dark moment of despair, the family shared one small silver lining: Wallace's organs would be donated to help multiple strangers.
"Over the next 24 hours the process will be started to help save others," the post read. "We were praying for a miracle for Trey, but Trey is becoming the miracle for others. Please keep the family in your prayers during the very difficult time."
Wallace's family is thanking their community for keeping their sweet son in their thoughts.
In an August 31 post on the Pray for Trey Facebook page, his mom wrote: "This has been our darkest time of our lives. But at the end of the day, God still won this battle.
"Trey has been a blessing to many and each and everyone of you have been a blessing to us," she added. "We are humbled by God’s love through each and everyone of you!"
The family's church created a GoFundMe page to raise money for funeral and medical expenses. To date, it's raised more than $7,900 of its $100,000 goal.
