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7-year-old on life support after hotel pool incident, mother speaking out

7-year-old on life support after hotel pool incident, mother speaking out

Yahoo07-05-2025
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — A mother is pushing for answers after her 7-year-old son nearly drowned at an east Wichita hotel on Thursday. KSN spoke to her at the hospital, where her son remains on life support.
Lauren Hill-Wilson said her son, ZJ, was swimming under the supervision of a trusted friend while she was at work. She said receiving the call that he was being rushed to the hospital was horrifying.
'They said it was my child, my ZJ. I just broke down, and I just screamed, and I cried,' Hill-Wilson said.
First responders pulled ZJ from the pool at a hotel in Wichita last Thursday. He was rushed to the hospital, and days later, he has yet to wake up.
'They said my baby had died twice, and they brought him back and got him a heartbeat, but it's just his brain,' Hill-Wilson said.
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She wanted to know what happened in the moments before her son went under the water, but said no one who was there that night was telling her. She said each day is harder than the last for ZJ's younger siblings.
'My 4-year-old actually asks me every time he sees me where his brother is at,' Hill-Wilson said. 'Today, I let him talk to his brother, and he kept saying 'ZJ! ZJ! He's not responding.''
They are all holding onto faith that ZJ wakes up.
'It would mean a lot to me, and I will promise him, I'll be more, more, more, more protective over him,' Hill-Wilson said.
She hopes that her boys will get a second shot at living, and they will get clarity about what happened at the hotel.
The Wichita Police Department said in a statement that they are still investigating this case and are speaking to witnesses to determine what happened.
A GoFundMe for ZJ's recovery can be found here.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KSN-TV.
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