Colter
Colter Pollock is an amazing, energetic, brave boy who suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury that occurred during a tragic fall from his 2nd story bedroom window. On July 7, 2014, after a weekend of camping, the evening was supposed to be spent winding down, but became our worst nightmare.

Five year old Colter was in timeout in his bedroom. I was just about to walk upstairs to talk to Colter about why he was in timeout and the unimaginable happen. I heard a loud fall that sounded like an egg cracking. I immediately ran outside to see Colter lifeless, lips turning blue lying on his back on the concrete patio. Next to Colter was the window screen.

Frantically, I called 911. I was in such panic that I almost what number to dial. When the responder answered, I yelled our address and repeated it twice.While on the phone with 911, I was shaking badly and I wasn’t sure while checking Colter’s wrist if he even had a pulse. All I knew was that his lips was turning blue and he wasn’t moving. Just as I was hearing the sirens, a neighbor came, who calmly and quickly performed CPR on Colter and confirmed that he did have a faint pulse. 

At the ER, we learned that he had traumatic damage to his skull with severe brain swelling along with a bleed and fixed, non-reactive, dilated pupils. Miraculously, he did not break or damage anything else. All I could think about was whether or not he would survive. It never even crossed my mind  that Colter suffered a Severe Traumatic Brain Injury along with a secondary diagnosis of left frontal temporal lobe contusion and a small subarachnoid hemorrhage.


After being life-flighted in a helicopter to Swedish Medical Center in Englewood, Colorado, I was told by neurosurgeon, Dr. Kimball that Colter was a very sick boy and the chances of survival were slim. He explained that Colter would need a left frontotemporoparietal hemicraniectomy for subdural hematoma evacuation to relieve the swelling in his brain. The only glimpse of hope that he gave me was when he said he had performed a craniotomy over 100 times and that he hasn’t lost anyone yet. Signing consent papers that one of the outcomes was death left me both hopeless and ill.

Over the next 4 months, Colter’s journey became a list of unknowns. The questions were never ending.

Colter spent 3 weeks at Swedish Medical Center then was transferred to the rehab unit of the Children’s Hospital in Colorado. It was at Children’s Hospital where Colter began learning all life’s simple, basic skills again. We basically witnessed all of his milestones twice. At times, it felt like he would never be “normal” again. But, what I didn’t know then that I know now, is that not only is TBI an invisible, uneducated injury, but that he would never 100% recover. We would all have a new normal.

Colter is purely God’s miracle. As he was in an induced coma, his neurosurgeon, Dr. Kimball said that Colter’s life will be a marathon.We have hit a lot of bumps along the way, but he is progressing to "normal"

We continue to not only advocate window fall prevention, but raises awareness on brain injuries and preventable accidents. It is our hope that we can prevent these types of accidents to happen.

- Colter's parents, Mandi & LeJae Seipel and dad, Mike Pollock
For more information:

Facebook - I Believe in Colter

Window fall prevention information

Meet Our Families

Here are just a few of the wonderful families Gracie's Promise has had the privilege to help.

The Claborn Family

The Patrias Family

The Quiroz Family

The Seipel Family

The Villano Family

The Wilson Family