Walker “Hollywood” Smith, 17, underwent surgery after a bull stepped on his chest during a Nov. 15 rodeo, according to his dad Daniel Smith.
“Glory to God,” Daniel wrote in a Nov. 21 Facebook post. “My God gets all the glory... Not today devil Walker Smith just got out of surgery and is doing fine.”
And Walker is already making great strides toward recovery.
“He’s finally using the bathroom, so that’s great,” his dad said in a Nov. 24 video update on Facebook. “One of the biggest things that they’re extremely excited about is they turned off the ventilator machine. He’s now doing 100 percent of the work on his own.”
Though Walker is able to wiggle his toes on command, Daniel said he can’t talk yet due to the tracheostomy in his neck.
“You want to talk about a kid that’s fighting for everything he’s got,” Daniel said of his son, who is communicating through blinking. “This kid is a fighter, and we knew that from an early age.”
During the Space Coast State Fair in Florida, Walker was thrown off his bull after just three seconds. While he was on the ground, the animal—weighing nearly 2,000 pounds—stepped on his chest. Walker was airlifted to a nearby hospital.
“So are needing more prayers more than ever Walker is strong kid,” his dad shared after the accident. “He is fighting for his life right now I'm asking everyone to claim in the name of JESUS THAT HEALING IS ON THE WAY.... Only God can do this. We appreciate all your prayers and thoughts and love.. please keep it coming.”
A family friend set up a GoFundMe page for the Smith family, sharing that Walker suffered a collapsed lung and bleeding in his brain as a result of the injury. Following the accident, he had a “series of mini strokes in his brain,” according to the GoFundMe page. So far the page has raised $7,700 of the $5,000 goal.
Their son’s accident has been admittedly frightening for Daniel and his wife Sabrina Smith.
“I lost it,” Sabrina told WCTV during a Nov. 19 interview. “I feel helpless because there’s nothing I can do for him.”
Daniel echoed his wife’s struggle, adding, “I’m not handling anything well. I’m not. Usually, I’m the one that’s telling everybody it’s ok. I’m the one that’s... but I’m not doing well.”