A Minnesota family wants to warn others after their son nearly died in a freak accident in early June. Jayden Balk was at Valley View Park in Byron with friends when he stood up from a picnic table, sparking a series of unfortunate events. His father, Jordan Kimball, said what happened next nearly ended the 15-year-old’s life.
Kimball told People that he was not with his son at the time but was able to gather information about what happened following the accident. Jayden apparently tripped getting up from the picnic table and fell. He hit his throat near his Adam’s apple on the corner of the table.
“That’s how his airway got blocked,” Kimball told the magazine. “It was a freak of all freak accidents.”
Jayden could not swallow water and knew something was very wrong. His friend called 911 but was unable to get reception in the park. Jayden ran to the home of a friend who lived near the park, making the trip thanks to what his dad called “full survival mode.”
Coincidentally, a family friend who works as a nurse at Mayo Clinic had just arrived at the house to go golfing. She helped administer CPR while waiting for emergency responders to arrive. When they did, they put a tube in Jayden’s chest to support his collapsed lungs.
“If it wasn’t for the quick responses from everyone that helped Jayden at the park, he very well may not be here today,” Kimball said.
Jayden’s uncle, Ryan Nordstrom, created a GoFundMe account to help the family with the unexpected medical bills. It’s raised nearly $5,000 thus far.
“Due to the miraculous work of all the crews at Mayo Clinic and people at the scene they were able to save his life that night,” Nordstrom wrote on the fundraising page. “He has been in the ICU since that evening where a great team of medical professionals have been giving him the care he needs as he ventures to a long road of recovery.”
Following the accident, Jayden could not speak and used a whiteboard to explain to his dad what happened. Kimball told People he is so grateful to everyone who stepped in to help his son that day. Despite everything, the teen has stayed optimistic.
“Honestly, I can’t believe how much Jayden has been smiling during this whole thing,” Kimball said. “He has such a great heart. Such a strong kid.”
The dad recently posted an update on Jayden’s recovery on Facebook.
“Happy 4th of July from the Heli-Pad at St. Mary’s,” the proud dad shared. “As you can see, Jayden is absolutely rocking his recovery 
just a few more days & we should be able to get him home!! One of the first responders that helped Jayden on June 10th brought us up there tonight since he didn’t get to ride the helicopter. Words can’t explain how awesome everyone has been at St. Marys.”
