Teen survives being pinned under tree

Kathy Williams and her family have had to bear an incredible burden brought on by last week's storm.

"It's just been devastating; the best I can say is I thought we've been through hell," she said.

Hell came crashing through her daughter's home during Thursday's storm in the form of a massive tree. It fell on top of Williams' grandson Kyle. "He said it was like slow motion and happened so quick. He had a second to think grab his chest put his head down and hit the floor."

Pinned under the enormous trunk, nothing could move the tree initially, giving Kyle little hope and less confidence of seeing life after the storm. "He called his girlfriend and said, 'Jessica, I love you, I'm dying. I'm not going to get out from under the tree,' and his girlfriend just fell to the ground," Williams said, "I thought he was telling her [good]bye to tell us [good]bye."

Mere minutes became a lifetime for Kyle's family, as they watched helplessly as he suffered. "To think that a tree that large is on a 17-year-old that weighs 140 lbs. He wasn't going to make it out of there."

Emergency crews were determined to make sure Kyle survived. They finally found a crane to lift the tree just enough for them to pull Kyle to safety.

"It's very hard to go by the house because I can see my daughter coming down the street saying, 'Mommy they cant get him out, they cant get him out,'" recalled Williams.

It was the toughest thing Williams ever had to witness, but what she said matters more is not what she's able to see, but who she's able to hold. "When I seen him in the trauma unit, I don't think I've had anything more blessed in my life, to see him laying there and saying grandma I love you."

Williams said the family is constantly trying to keep Kyle's spirits up. Doctors had to re-insert an IV to help his kidneys. He's able to move only one of his legs, Williams said. Kyle was released from the hospital Tuesday afternoon. His kidneys are improving, according to his grandmother.

Another hardship the family is dealing with is that Kyle's mother had surgery the day before the accident and the family is in need of financial support to help out Kyle.

People from the neighborhood have raised more than $700.

The family has also set up a fund to help out. If you'd like to donate, you can visit any Towne Bank branch and ask for the O'Brien Family Contributions Fund.