About

On July 16, 2023 the Bray family went on a swimming play date with their daughter Josephine, who was 3 at the time. They had no idea that their lives would change forever in an instant. 

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While playing, Stan pushed off the bottom of the pool and hit his head against the side of the pool. He must have hit it just right and cracked him C6 and C7 vertebrae, severing part of his spinal cord. The damage was immediate. He splashed with the little movement he had left in his arms but was drowning. It took his wife, Christina a moment to realize what was happening and she then pulled him from the pool. 

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In an instant his eyes rolled back, he stopped breathing and turned blue. Christina began administering CPR with the help of another mom. Certain that he was gone, she kept going and going until the paramedics arrived and pulled her off of him. They confirmed a pulse and she wept with relief. 

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Stan was flown to Mobile where his family met him and the doctors rushed him to surgery to fuse the spine and stop any further damage. He was intubated and could not speak, but managed to tell jokes to his family with his hands and eyes. 

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After nearly two weeks in the ICU post surgery, Stan was stable enough to transfer by ambulance to the Shepherd Center in Atlanta. By the grace of God and loving family and friends, the Bray's were able to afford a stay at this  premier brain and spine center. Christina, Josephine and Lisa (MIL extraordinaire) followed the ambulance and moved to the Shepherd Center with Stan. He was there until October.