Teen paralyzed after accident in pool; mom implores parents to be vigilant

BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) - A local mother is imploring parents to be extra vigilant this summer after a 13-year-old she was supervising was left paralyzed at a Bismarck pool.

It was supposed to be a day of fun when Saunda Cheek had brought her children and their friend, 13-year-old Lillyana, to a pool party at Ramkota in Bismarck this past April.

“Everything was normal and kids were swimming, having fun,” said Cheek. “I was walking by the slide and I saw Lillyana standing up on the slide.”

And all of a sudden Lillyana dove off of the slide, straight down into three feet of water. After the impact, she was floating face down in the water.

“Lillyana has asthma, I know she can’t hold her breath that long. So, I lifted her head, and right away I could see the fear in her eyes,” said Cheek. ”And she was like, ‘I can’t move.’”

The 13-year-old was airlifted to a hospital and placed on a ventilator. While she has made great strides over the past two months, she still remains completely paralyzed on the right side of her body.

“A lot of guilt, you know, for being the one responsible at that time,” said Cheek.

Cheek is now raising money to help the family. Lillyana’s mom already works three jobs.

“She’s not even going to be able to bathe her at home because her wheelchair is not going to be able to make it into the shower. And a shower chair cannot even fit in their bathtub. So, she’s already trying to make arrangements to take her to hotels, you know, just to bathe her,” said Cheek.

And as the weather heats up, Cheek implores all parents to have a pool safety chat with their children and always watch them in the pool.

“Things like this can happen in a matter of seconds and it can change a lot of lives,” said Cheek.

To donate to Lillyana’s recovery, visit her GoFundMe Page at: https://gofund.me/fd66ed5b

Copyright 2022 KFYR. All rights reserved.