The boy’s family is reflecting on the horrific event and planning for the future nearly a year after their teenage son had a traumatic brain injury.
On July 9, 2024, Brett Jedwabny, then 15 years old, started cleaning the cart containing the equipment while assisting with power washing at his family’s Appleton, Wisconsin, home. His right frontal lobe was partially removed when the tire exploded, shattering his eye socket and launching debris into his brain. Nicole, his mother, contacted for assistance right away.
She simply yelled, “He’s gone.” He is no longer alive. His brains are all over,” — recalls her husband Tyler, a 44-year-old real estate salesperson who was working at the time. The couple also had a 13-year-old son named Grant. Tyler hurried to the hospital without knowing who had been hurt.
His oldest son didn’t pick up when he tried to call him. Then he gave his wife another call. “Hold on, you need to slow down. “You must tell me who.” Tyler recalls posing the question to her. “I discovered it was Brett at that point.”
Nicole managed to dial 911 despite her fear, and rescue personnel promptly showed up on the scene. Tyler claims that he arrived in time to witness a “miracle” after traveling the 34 minutes to the nearby hospital in less than 20 minutes, reports People.
Because a guy with cancer who was scheduled for a craniotomy gave up his slot, his kid was able to receive surgery right away. “Those sheer seconds saved his life,” says Tyler. Brett was airlifted to Milwaukee Children’s Hospital after having a portion of his skill removed to ease the pressure.
The teen was given quick attention, but things didn’t look good. The doctor advised the family to bid Brett their final goodbyes after a restless first night, as it was unlikely that he would live for another twenty-four hours. “That simply breaks your heart,” Tyler says. Tyler claims that the doctor was shocked to learn that their son had lived the following morning against the odds and that she was unable to come up with a medical explanation for it.
Brett was still making progress, but the danger was far from gone. Brett received inpatient treatment for the following ten months, initially at Milwaukee Children’s Hospital, then at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago, and finally at the Ronald McDonald House, where he gradually healed.
A 15-year-old Appleton boy continues to make progress after suffering a traumatic brain injury in a pressure washer accident back in July.
Join us at 4 p.m. on Action 2 News for a look at Brett Jedwabny’s healing journey. pic.twitter.com/WuCg1qfWBj
— WBAY-TV 2 (@WBAY) December 20, 2024
Brett, who is now sixteen, was eventually allowed to go home in May 2025, but this time he was escorted by a fire engine. He had the opportunity to meet the life-saving emergency personnel. “He knew to say thank you to each and every one of them,” says his dad. “He was excited, he was smiling, he was giving the thumbs up, kissing their hand. He understood the magnitude of that moment.”
Brett’s left side mobility is limited, and he still needs a feeding tube. However, on his way back home, he surprised his parents by taking two steps. And his pals were waiting when Nicole accompanied her son to a school meeting on May 29 to get him ready for his return.
@WBAY shares the story of Brett Jedwabny, who is home after 319 days. Since his accident, he’s fought through months of recovery, never giving up. Now, he’s walking again, reunited with the paramedics who saved him, and a community that never left his side https://t.co/yUdPdcecHJ
— Bobby Schindler (@BobbySSchindler) May 30, 2025
The 44-year-old mother, who was an elementary school teacher prior to the disaster, writes in an email, “I was anxious about what people or friends would say.” “A large sign on the computer board welcomed us.” Three other boys from Brett’s high school fishing team, along with his best friend, arrived to greet him.
According to his parents, Brett is still the same “old soul”—and funnier than ever—despite being more outspoken about his thoughts now that his right frontal lobe has been injured.
Over the past year, as Brett has done everything he could to rehabilitate, their bond as a family has only grown stronger. “You can’t really have a bad day when you see the progress your son has made,” Tyler says. He doesn’t let it happen. Bad days are not tolerated by him. He simply never stops trying to regain as much of his former abilities as possible.
