A Mountain Home teen is in serious condition after a sledding accident on Christmas Day. 15-year-old “CJ" Christopher Loucks suffered a traumatic brain injury. He was life-flighted to Saint Alphonsus where his mom says he spent a day connected to life support systems. She now has these words to her son.
"Stay strong cause live I've told him all along we're here, we love him. He's not alone, he's not alone in this fight," Said CJ’s mom Taysia Stephens.
It happened on their family ranch outside of Mountain Home. CJ was using the hood of a car as a sled that was being pulled by another car driven by his brother. That's when the makeshift sled hit an embankment and CJ hit his head. CJ's mom says using a car hood as a sled is something they've all done before and never had a problem. But now she's encouraging everyone who goes sledding to wear a helmet.
"Take the extra precaution for them because it takes one wrong move or one wrong hit on the ground and you have a brain injury," said Stephens.
CJ's family says they have gotten an outpouring of support from the community of Mountain Home and they’re taken his recovery one day at a time.
"With the help of Saint Al's and everybody we'll get through this it's just going to be a lot of steps," said Stephens.
The Elmore County Sheriff's Office is investigating the incident but CJ's mom says it was nothing short of an accident and no one should be blamed.
