19-year-old suffers broken neck after diving into wave at Hampton Beach
A young man was seriously injured after an accident while swimming at Hampton Beach in New Hampshire. Aiden Sloan, 19, is hospitalized in Boston after breaking his neck on a sand bar.
The recovery has been devastating for Aiden and his mother, who says this could have happened to anyone.
"This morning, I came in and I woke him up with a forehead rub like I usually do. He said 'good morning, Mom. What do you got in that bag?' I said, 'it's a chocolate chip muffin.' He said, 'I'd like a bite of that,'" said Melina Burton smiling, of her son in his hospital bed at Mass General.
That simple request meant the world to Burton, who for days, has been desperate to do anything for her son Aiden: feed him, help him, make him smile.
Aiden Sloan suffered a broken neck after diving into a wave at Hampton Beach.
CBS Boston
"He has fractures in his neck, his spine is bruised. He had a concussion. They've got his neck stabilized. Not being able to move his legs and his hands. It's getting to him," the mother explained.
Everything changed on Monday, when the 19-year-old jumped in to cool off at Hampton Beach.
"He went to the beach with his cousins. They were up to their mid-thigh. He went to dive through a wave and there was a sandbar on the other side of it. He hit it head on," she said.
Overwhelmed by generosity
After being flown to surgery at MGH in Boston, this mother and son family is bracing for the journey ahead at Spaulding Rehab. Burton said her passionate cook is overwhelmed by generosity from his restaurant friends and New Hampshire neighbors.
"We set the goal for $8,000. Never in a million years did I think we'd be at $30,000 which is absolutely amazing and so overwhelming. I tell Aiden and he's like 'shoot I didn't know that many people liked me!'"
That part, she understands. Nobody likes Aiden - loves Aiden - more than her.
"Being his mom has been my greatest accomplishment," she said. "He is my everything. And I just need him to be OK."
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