Surfer Bethany Hamilton seeks medical help for 3-year-old nephew who drowned but ‘still has a heartbeat’

KAUAI, HAWAII: Renowned surfer Bethany Hamilton is rallying support for her nephew Andrew, who survived a drowning incident in a bathtub but is currently fighting for his life.

After her nephew was medivaced to the hospital on the night of October 12, Hamilton is focused on creating a positive atmosphere around her nephew during this critical time. In her desperate message, she reached out to her followers, urging them to help explore effective treatment options and information to support his journey to recovery.

Bethany Hamilton seeks help for her 'precious nephew' 

Bethany Hamilton and Noah Hamilton teamed up for an Instagram post dedicated to Bethany's "precious nephew." The post shared on October 13 featured a joyful photo of her nephew holding a surfing board with a broad smile on his face.

It remains unclear if the image was taken before the tragic incident. The photo was accompanied by bold red text that read, "Please help!! With information so we can navigate this timely window for my sweet nephew."

In the caption, they detailed the heartbreaking situation, stating, "HELP‼️ My precious nephew was medivaced to kapiolani in Oahu this morning after drowning last night. He still has a heartbeat and has fight in him."

Bethany’s brother, Noah also called his nephew a “resilient kid” and an “amazing swimmer." It was he who revealed in his post  that his brother's fifth youngest child Andrew was life-flighted to Oahu in the middle of the night.

"He’s three-and-a-half going on five. He’s a strong resilient kid and an amazing swimmer. He was found not breathing in shallow water of bathtub. His vitals were enough to get him to Oahu," stated a report in the Daily Mail. 

Bethany and Noah's brother Timothy (Andrew's dad) posted an update on Facebook sharing, "The past 48 hours have been beyond overwhelming, including all the support and prayers - of which we are incredibly grateful for. We are just giving Andrew as much love as we possibly can while he gets the best medical support possible.

"I don’t have much else to share at the moment and I won’t be responding to messages or comments but I will be reading through them eventually. Thank you."

Bethany expressed their devastation but emphasized the importance of proper medical support: "We are wrecked. But I know how proper medical support can make or break someone’s chance of survival and in this case we’re asking for help from anyone who has information of what we can do to give my nephew the best chance."

She also provided an update on their efforts, mentioning they had contacted Dr Paul Harch, a world-renowned expert in hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) who specializes in cases of adolescent drowning. According to reports from Mayo Clinic, HBOT is a treatment often used for decompression sickness, a risk associated with scuba diving.

Bethany concluded the post with a plea for timely information, asking followers to message her brother only if they had relevant insights: "PLEASE ONLY MESSAGE MY BROTHER if you have timely information on other treatments to look into @noahhamiltonphoto 🙏🏽🫶🏽 my brother Noah’s cell is +1 (808) 652-7667 Please pray. THANK YOU!"

Additionally, eight hours ago, she took to her Instagram Stories to express her heartfelt gratitude for the support she has received. She wrote, "THANK YOU FOR ALL THE LOVE AND SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THIS TIME." 

In another post, she shared, "I was not planning on posting about Andrew's incident. I didn't want to go to public in the first place. but I knew that it could potentially help him by getting more support and receiving more knowledge/help around what he's going through and it certainly has been a blessing. Thank you."

She concluded by saying, "I don't plan on posting a lot. And will be off this space for the most part. Thank you for the over, prayers, knowledge and support."

Internet prays for Bethany Hamilton's nephew Andrew

Following her journey as a mother of four and a remarkable survivor who lost her left hand while surfing, Bethany Hamilton reached out for help regarding her precious nephew to her 2.4 million followers. Her heartfelt post has since gained over 55,000 likes and sparked numerous supportive comments from fans.

One user wrote, "Miracles are real! Our 13 year old daughter had a drowning accident doing a breath holding contest with her friends. She passed out and was under water for at least 10 minutes before she was discovered. Prayers, CPR and significant medical intervention brought her back to us. We were blessed to have her make a near full recovery. Praying for your family." The secon user shared, "Praying for your nephew ❤️‍🩹 praying for healing and strength as your family navigates this time. I’m so sorry for your pain." 

The third user commented, "Praying for supernatural healing! Miracles upon miracles!!!" A user on Instagram wrote, "Our team is praying for your precious nephew and entire family. We are believing and praying for complete and total healing."

A person on Instagram advised, "The faster you start range of motion the faster the progress. Train the mind to remember how to move and open eyes and talk. Every day matters. Look up ROM techniques."

One supported, "Just Dmed you!! Also try contacting the LSU school of medicine he was the director there." The last user wrote, "Praying now for precious Andrew’s recovery, guidance for the medical team, and hope for your entire family. ❤️"

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