Tripp Halstead Facts: Boy With Brain Damage After 2012 Accident Dies

Tripp Halstead, the Jefferson, Georgia boy who was seriously injured more than five years ago when a tree branch fell on him causing severe brain damage, died Thursday aged 7. The accident took place when the boy's family lived in Winder.

Tripp's family garnered support from across the Atlanta area after the child was left in a state of coma for weeks and hospitalized for months. Tripp was 2 years old at the time of the accident. For the last five years, Tripp had been receiving special care but despite several efforts he died, his father Bill Halstead confirmed Thursday night.

Tripp’s mother Stacey Halstead posted on Facebook Thursday that her son was having difficulty breathing and it looked like he was getting worse. She then rushed him to a pediatrician.

"We already had oxygen on because it helps him sleep better at night so no alarms had gone off. I went to move him and he started whining and then had crazy diarrhea so I immediately called his pediatrician and they said to bring him in," she said. "I got both of us ready and put the family on alert. As I was driving to the pediatrician’s office, I could tell Tripp was getting worse and I wasn’t sure I had enough oxygen in the tank I brought to make it to Atlanta especially in heavy traffic so we took a detour to Athens ER."

“His oxygen levels were low and his CO2 levels were high so they have him on high flow oxygen and they did blood work, x rays and got an IV started,” she added.

Tripp met with the accident in October 2012 when high winds from Hurricane Sandy caused a tree branch to break and fall directly onto the toddler, who was playing at his daycare. Tripp's skull broke into multiple pieces due to the impact. Doctors said that Tripp was lucky to have survived the initial surgery. After special treatment for years, the boy eventually learned how to talk again in 2015.

The Halstead family went through a lot of suffering as the young child struggled with life. The family sold their home in Winder and bought a foreclosed one closer to family members in Jefferson in order to pay for Tripp's wheelchair and special needs.

The family had created a Tripp Halstead Updates Facebook page where they shared details about the boy's fight. The family issued a statement Thursday night about Tripp's death.

The family updated their Facebook page on Thursday night saying:

There are no words to express how Bill and I are feeling at this moment. We are beyond devastated and honestly I believe I am in shock. Our amazing, perfect, beautiful miracle of a son, Tripp Hughes Halstead passed away at 5:47 pm today. He was our whole world.

We love you Trippadoo and you will never realize the impact you made on our lives.

I have no idea when I will post again. I’m still processing everything. But Bill and I were in the room when he passed at the hospital. His little body was just done fighting this last infection. His little heart gave out. This winter was brutal for him. I’m just so thankful he had the best summer ever. Jet skis, Disney World, the list is endless and that’s when we got those amazing huge smiles.

At this time, I will not be reading the comments but your welcome to leave them for me to read in the coming weeks.

You have been the most loyal and outstanding followers we could have ever asked for and We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the past 5 1/2 years. You let us into your lives and You were there when we needed you most.

Love, Bill and Stacy