Boy Comes Back After Parents Sign Forms to Donate His Organs And It Was All God
May 08, 2018
It seemed as if there was no hope for 13-year-old Trenton McKinley following a dune buggy accident. Doctors said he'd never recover. But when his parents signed organ donation forms, their brain-dead son miraculously woke up!
There's no doubt Trenton McKinley is a miracle. The Alabama boy was dead for 15 minutes, and yet, now he sits making jokes about the dent in the side of his head.
“I said I could turn sideways and put salsa in there and eat chips and dip out of my head. No more washing dishes for me!” Trenton jokes.
RELATED: Big Sister Blows Kisses On Brain-Dead Baby And Gets A Miracle
It's the kind of lighthearted joking you'd expect from your typical 13-year-old boy. But Trenton is anything but typical!
A Terrible Accident
Trenton of Mobile, Alabama was over at a friend's house when his whole life changed. His friend drove a kid's dune buggy, pulling a small utility trailer with Trenton in the back.
When his friend suddenly hit the brakes, the trailer pitched forward and flipped.
The quick-thinking Trenton managed to toss his friend's 4-year-old niece from the trailer as the accident occurred. She landed safely in the grass. But poor Trenton didn't fare as well.
“I hit the concrete and the trailer landed on top of my head. After that, I don’t remember anything,” he said.
While emergency crews rushed Trenton to USA Medical Center for emergency surgery, the outlook was grim. He suffered seven skull fractures in the accident and had to be revived.
“All I saw was a stretcher with his feet hanging out. He was dead a total of 15 minutes,” his mom, Jennifer Reindl, tearfully recalled.
Though doctors got Trenton breathing again, they had no hope for his future.
“When he came back, they said he would never be normal again," Jennifer says. "They told me the oxidation problems would be so bad to his brain, that he would be a vegetable if he even made it.”
So, Trenton's family started praying.
Parents Signed Organ Donation Forms For Brain-Dead Son
After several surgeries, Trenton was still alive, but just barely. He lay brain-dead for days, relying on doses of adrenaline to keep his heart beating. This left his parents with a terrible decision to make.
"They said the next time his heart stopped they had to let him die," Jennifer said.
The heartbroken mom looked at her son's eyes. She says they were solid black and lifeless. By all accounts, it seemed as if her son was already gone.
And so, she decided to say goodbye.
RELATED: Parents Saying Goodbye As Baby Is Taken Off Life Support Get A Miracle
Trenton's parents signed organ donation forms provided by the hospital so that his death could at least save others.
“Five kids needed organs that matched him,” Jennifer explained. “It was unfair to keep bringing him back, because it was just damaging his organs even more.”
Miracle Occurs After Parents Signed Organ Donation Forms
Doctors planned to do one last brainwave test. Then, they would take Trenton off life support. But right before they hooked him up for the test, something incredible happened -- his hand moved!
Next, Trenton moved his feet. Doctors canceled the test and kept monitoring the boy. Over the next few days, he continued to recover and amaze his doctors!
“From no brainwaves to now walking and talking and reading, doing math,” Jennifer says. “A miracle.”
And once he was able to speak, Trenton explained that it had just been his body laying lifeless and unresponsive in a hospital bed. His spirit was in Heaven.
“I was in an open field walking straight,” the boy said. “There’s no other explanation but God. There’s no other way. Even doctors said it.”
Miracle Boy At Home Recovering
Trenton isn't completely healed yet. He’s lost 50 pounds and deals with nerve pain and seizures daily.
Credit: Jennifer Reindl via CBSHe currently only has half of his skull, which is the cause of the dent he jokes about filling with salsa. The missing piece is frozen at the hospital until Trenton is ready for surgery to replace it.
But considering the odds he's faced, Trenton's progress is beyond anything anyone ever anticipated. And despite his daily struggles with pain and seizures, this real-life overcomer is taking it all in stride with a great sense of humor.
“She wouldn’t let me put nothing in it though," Trenton says of his mom's response to his salsa idea. "I really wanted to see if I could.”
While he still has a long road, each day Trenton gets stronger, by the grace of God. And for that, Trenton's family is eternally grateful.
"God did for my son what He did for His own," Jennifer said. "And I am so honored to have him back. This is my testimony. God is good."
WATCH: Miracle After Parents Signed Organ Donation Forms
"I am the LORD, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?" Jeremiah 32:27
h/t: WNEP News
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: 13 Real News Stories That Show God At Work In The World
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for When You Don't Feel Thankful - Your Daily Prayer - November 24
True thanksgiving, as a spiritual discipline, is not about what happens to us; it’s about who is with us.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for When You Don't Feel Thankful - Your Daily Prayer - November 24
True thanksgiving, as a spiritual discipline, is not about what happens to us; it’s about who is with us.
Past Stories
- School in Arkansas Mourns the Loss of Their Beloved Emotional Support Dog Abby
- 93-Year-Old Has Made Sure To Attend Every High School Football Game Since 1946
- Texas Mom Doesn't Remember Delivering Triplets After Rare Complication After Birth
- United Airlines Pilot Buys Pizza For 155 Passengers After They Make An Unexpected Stop
- Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game
- Woman in Shock After Finding Winning Lottery Ticket At the Bottom of Her Purse
- Australian Couple Walks Into Their Bedroom To Find the Cutest Koala
- 5 Boys and Their Father Were Saved By Good Samaritan After Explosion
- Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
- Sisters Scream With Joy Watching Their 4-Year-Old Sister Take Her First Steps
- Her Mom Put a Message in a Bottle As a Child, 26 Years Later Her Classmate Found It
- This Missouri School Was Renamed After Their Much Loved and Dedicated Custodian
- Michael Strahan's Daughter is Now Cancer Free and Has Taught Him All About Perseverance
- These Two Newlyweds Found Love in Their Late 90s, After Meeting At Their Retirement Home
- Sisters Who Were Adopted By Separate Families Nearly 40 Years Ago Reunite After DNA Tests
- Oldest Living Person in the US Passes Away at 115, After a Long and Faithful Life
- At Just 20 and 22 Years Old, These Two Sisters From Minnesota Saved Their Family Farm
- After Over 450 Days in a Shelter, Boone and Rellie Find Their Forever Home, Together
- Sweet Kitten Named Coraline Loses Both Her Eyes, but Inspires Many with Her Spirit
- Donny Osmond Sees the 'End of the Tunnel' Coming After Performing for Over 6 Decades
- An Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee, Now Trying to Find Its Owner
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's Dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
- UPS Driver Jumps into Action As He Spots Elderly Woman on the Ground & Says It Was All God
- AJ Griffin Gives Up High-Paying Career with NBA to Follow God
- These Former Conjoined Twins Finally Go Home After Their First Birthday
- Teenager From Iowa Uses His Flying Skills to Help Hurricane Helene Victims
- Son Saves For 9 Months and Surprises Mom By Paying Off Her Mortgage
- Woman's Home is Surrounded By 100 Raccoons, and They Aren't Leaving Anytime Soon
- Dog Saves Her Owner's Life By Sitting in the Middle of the Road
- Widower Shares the Last Thing His Wife Told Their Son Before She Passed Away From Cancer
- A Nurse Saved Her Life 35 Years Ago, Now, She is Surprising Her With a Visit
- These Twin Sisters Have An Important Message To Share On Their 102nd Birthday
- This Brave 5-Year-Old Saved Her Mother's Life By Calling 911
- 79-Year-Old Broke Her Ankle After Scattering Her Mom's Ashes, Then Strangers Save the Day
- Dad Travels Through Mud and Debris to Walk His Daughter Down the Aisle
- Owner's Trip to the Vet with Unwell Dog Results in the Craziest X-Ray
- After Getting Lost in Yellowstone, This Precious Cat Made His Way Back Home To California
- Mom's Funny Response To Daughter's Dirty Sock On The Floor Goes Viral & Ends Up Doing Good
- A Kidnapped Boy Is Found After 70 Years and Reunited With His Family
- This Puppy Was Found With a Note That Read 'Help Me,' Now He's Looking For a New Home
- Excited Mom Couldn't Wait to See Son's Back to School Pictures, but Funny Results Make Her LOL
- When This Police Officer Pulled Her Over, He Changed Her Life Forever
- She Just Met Her Vietnam Veteran Father After 50 Years, Now He is Walking Her Down the Aisle
- Fearless Father Waits on Porch to Catch the Stranger Peeking in His Daughter's Window
- This 5th Grade Teacher Eats Lunch In the Cafeteria Every Day
- Amy Grant Has a New Perspective After Losing Her 'Superpower' in Bike Accident
- 'God Did It' Says 18-Year-Old After Waking Up From a Coma Following a Crash
Top Music Videos
CCM Magazine Matthew West | '18 Summers' (acoustic)
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Colton Dixon 'The Other Side' - Colton Dixon Song For Lost Loved Ones
CCM Magazine Oak Ridge Boys Singer William Lee Golden Shares How Group Has Navigated Recent Loss and Grief
Mac Powell Mac Powell 'I Love Jesus' Official Music Video
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.