A Washington family is sharing the heartbreaking recovery journey of a 12-year-old boy left paralyzed from the neck down after being shot while spending the night at a friend’s house.
Myles Beardsley was critically injured on April 4 in Lewis County, Lori Himmelman of Rochester told Puget Press.
According to Himmelman, the other teen “got a hold of his grandfather’s Glock and shot Myles in the neck, paralyzing him from the neck down.”
“Our family got the call no parent should ever receive,” Myles’ mother, Alora Beardsley, wrote on a GoFundMe campaign.
Myles was first airlifted to Tacoma General Hospital before later being transferred to Harborview Medical Center, where doctors performed a nine-hour emergency surgery to relieve pressure on his spinal cord and stabilize his neck and upper spine.
“His injuries were devastating,” Alora wrote. “Myles is now paralyzed from the neck down. In an instant, his whole life changed.”
The shooting remains under investigation by the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
‘I Love You Mom’
In the weeks since the shooting, the family has shared emotional updates documenting Myles’ long and difficult recovery process inside Seattle hospitals.
After initially remaining in intensive care at Harborview, Myles was transferred to Seattle Children’s Hospital on April 13.
“We are moving forward and that is such a good thing,” Alora wrote during the ambulance transfer.
Doctors later monitored wounds to his esophagus and trachea while trying to reduce his dependence on a ventilator. At one point, Alora said Myles was able to speak briefly despite having a breathing tube in place.
“He was able to say ‘I LOVE YOU MOM, I LOVE YOU DAD, I LOVE YOU WYATT, I LOVE YOU SISSY,’” she wrote. “The pure joy on his face hearing his own voice even though raspy just melted my mama heart.”
The family also described several moments they viewed as encouraging signs during recovery.
On April 12, Alora said Myles began moving one of his hands enough to help control buttons and eventually use a wheelchair joystick.
“This is so amazing and huge,” she wrote.
Days later, the family said Myles was able to move parts of his feet and toes during therapy sessions despite the severity of his spinal cord injury.
“How he is able to we have no idea because of his spinal cord injury as it was severed,” Alora wrote. “We are ohhh so freaking happy and are encouraging every single little miracle that is happening with our boy.”
‘He Thought He Was Dying’
The emotional toll of the recovery has also been immense. Alora described nights where Myles became overwhelmed by fear, pain, and anxiety while trying to process what had happened to him.
“One night he was crying telling me and daddy he was dying and he didn’t want to die,” she wrote in an April update.
Alora said she stayed beside his bed through the night repeating: “You are alive. You are safe. You are loved.”
As recovery progressed, Myles was eventually moved from the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit into rehabilitation. But the transition brought new emotional challenges.
“He keeps asking to go back to his other room,” Alora wrote after the transfer.
“I keep telling him this is a good thing and this is where we are going to be able to start working on him being able to come home.”
She said Myles later told her he did not want to “go home in a wheelchair.”
“I keep telling him to tell himself ‘I’m gonna walk again’ and to truly believe that he will,” she wrote.
“It breaks my [expletive] heart because I don’t know what else to tell him. How do you tell your baby he may never walk again?”
‘That Isn’t Me’
One of the most emotional moments came during a therapy visit when Myles saw his reflection for the first time since the shooting.
According to Alora, therapists asked whether he wanted a mirror covered before beginning occupational therapy.
“He said no,” she wrote. But after seeing himself, Myles reportedly began crying. “He kept saying ‘that isn’t me, that isn’t me.’”
Alora said she sat with him while he processed the moment. “I told him that he is alive. He is safe. He is strong. He is brave. He is loved.”
Heart Attack During Surgery Recovery
The family says another terrifying setback happened April 30 after Myles underwent a tracheotomy procedure. According to Alora, doctors told the family Myles suffered a heart attack “and died” after returning to his room.
“They were able to bring him back to life and he is stable,” she wrote.
Despite the setbacks, the family has continued sharing hopeful milestones along the way. In one update, Alora described taking Myles onto a rooftop area outside the hospital for fresh air after more than a month indoors.
“Seeing Myles experience the fresh air for the first time in 32 days was everything,” she wrote.
Family Seeking Help During Long Recovery
Myles still faces months of rehabilitation, therapy, and medical treatment.
Robert and Alora have remained in Seattle during the recovery while their other children stay with family friends back home.
The fundraiser says donations will help cover:
- medical-related expenses
- transportation and parking
- lodging near the hospital
- meals and daily expenses
- future rehabilitation
- and home modifications needed for Myles’ care.
The family is also encouraging supporters to send cards, drawings, and messages to Myles during recovery.
“He gets a huge smile on his face when he receives them,” Alora wrote.
Messages & gifts can be mailed to: Myles Beardsley, 4800 Sand Point Way NE Seattle, WA 98105.
Those interested in helping the Beardsley family can donate via GoFundMe here.
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