Teenager Trenton McKinley Was Declared Brain Dead, His Parents Signed Organ Donation Papers — Then He Woke Up

Trenton McKinley was dead for 15 minutes after suffering a serious head injury while riding a dune buggy with a friend. He was declared brain dead by doctors in the hospital.

Then, something amazing happened. After the 13-year-old boy’s parents had prepared to take the boy off life support and were signing his organ donation papers, Trenton woke up. As Fox 10 reported, the boy showed signs of life and slowly regained consciousness, then spent several weeks on a slow path to recovery from the serious injury.

The accident that left Trenton McKinley on the verge of death happened two months ago while he was playing at a friend’s house. As Fox 10 reported, Trenton was riding in a trailer being pulled by a small dune buggy. When Trenton’s friends hit the brakes suddenly, the trailer started to flip. Trenton was able to throw his friend’s 4-year-old niece out of the trailer and to safety but Trenton was thrown to the pavement, where he struck his head. The trailer then fell onto him.

“I hit the concrete and the trailer landed on top of my head. After that, I don’t remember anything,” Trenton told the news outlet.

Trenton’s parents said the boy was considered dead for 15 minutes before doctors were able to revive him, but his condition did not improve and doctors saw no signs of brain activity. After several days, his parents came to the decision to take Trenton off life support, and signed papers so that his organs could go to five other children who were in desperate need.

During the time he was considered brain dead, Trenton said he believes he was in heaven.

“I was in an open field walking straight,” the 13-year-old told Fox 10. “There’s no other explanation but God. There’s no other way. Even doctors said it.”

A 13-year-old boy, Trenton McKinley, of Mobile, Ala. who was said to be brain dead defied odds when he regained consciousness after his parents had signed papers to donate his organs. https://t.co/tHMeYiOoe9 #FoxNews

— Joe McKinley (@bartmckinley) May 6, 2018

Trenton McKinley still has a difficult recovery ahead, and is still feeling the effects from his injury, including daily seizures and nerve pain. He has gone through three different brain surgeries already, where doctors had to remove half of his skull due to brain swelling. Trenton will need another surgery to reconnect the skull, the report noted. To help pay for the rising medical costs, family members started a fundraiser on Facebook that has already passed its $4,000 goal.

Though there is a long road ahead, Trenton McKinley is alive, something doctors and his family thought would never happen.