Teen rodeo star, 17, fighting for his life after being hit in the chest by a bull during event

A teenage champion bull rider from Tallahassee has been near warring for his beingness aft being deed successful the thorax during a rodeo lawsuit successful Florida. 

Walker 'Hollywood' Smith, 17, was named the Junior Bull Riding Champion of the Year successful 2022 and is simply a well-known contender successful the World Championship Bull Riding. 

But connected November 15, his competitory vocation came to a standstill aft helium was a bull stepped connected the near broadside of his thorax successful South Florida astatine astir 10 pm. 

Walker was rushed to the Holmes Regional Medical Center successful Melbourne connected a chopper and has remained successful a captious condition. 

'The archetypal telephone telephone was helium had been kicked by the bull successful his thorax and they were going to person him looked astatine by the EMTs,' parent Sabrina Smith recalled to Fox5. 

'Just a abbreviated portion later, I received different telephone telephone that helium was being life-flighted,' Sabrina added.

According to a Facebook post made connected his page, his oxygen levels were successful the debased 70s, some of his lungs had collapsed and determination was bleeding connected his encephalon by the clip helium reached the hospital. 

Father Danny Smith told Tallahassee Democrat: 'We are present and Walker is warring for his life. 

'He goes into country [Thursday] greeting for tracheotomy and feeding tube. He has tubes successful some lungs and close present helium is connected the ventilator. Still not moving his arms and legs. But making improvements each day. 

'Small victories each time pb to large victories,' helium hopefully said. 

Apart from this, Walker has besides experienced a bid of tiny strokes. 

'I'm not handling thing well. I'm not. Usually, I'm the 1 that's telling everybody it's OK. I'm the 1 that's, but I'm not doing well,' his begetter tearfully said. 

'You archer everybody, "Hey, it's each going to beryllium each right" and past you judge successful your bosom that it's going to beryllium each right. Well, erstwhile you get alone, you conscionable cognize erstwhile your champion person is... I can't speak,' helium added. 

Sabrina further added: 'A batch of mixed emotions. I consciousness helpless due to the fact that there’s thing I tin bash for him.'

Girlfriend Talor Heidt of Bainbridge, Georgia, was astatine the rodeo erstwhile the mishap happened and has been spending clip astatine the infirmary with him. 

'He is astir apt 1 of the astir kindest, delicate persons I've ever met. He has specified a brushed heart. 

'But he's besides a fighter, and he's warring truthful hard,' she said. 

The household has besides launched a GoFundMe to assistance combat rising infirmary bills. 

'I tin lone ideate what that Life Flight measure is going to be, not to notation that he's successful ICU,' his parent said. 

'We're astir apt looking astatine hundreds of thousands of dollars. It's overwhelming. I'm trying not to adjacent deliberation astir it due to the fact that I'm trying to beryllium focused connected him, but it's conscionable overwhelming due to the fact that there's going to beryllium a ample measure retired there.' 

The crowdfunding leafage has exceeded its $5,000 extremity by raising $5,540 successful a substance of days. 

According to organizer Jenna Wade Truitt Neal, Walker has besides started showing signs of betterment and has been capable to move his hands and feet during tests. 

'As of this americium they person decided to enactment a Trach and Feeding conduit successful time am! Please beryllium successful supplication arsenic helium volition beryllium enactment nether but we’re claiming successful Jesus sanction aft that helium volition commencement waking up more!!

'When they tested his nerves successful his hands and feet this americium HE GRIMMACED and MOVED THEM much than helium has!!! PRAISE JESUS!!! Thank YOU for answered prayers!!!!! We emotion you Walker! You’re doing large things with Jesus by your broadside and I couldn’t beryllium much thankful kid!!!!'

The young star attended Fort Braden Middle School and is simply a postgraduate of the Florida Virtual School. 

He archetypal began showing involvement successful the high-risk athletics astatine the property of 12 and began grooming connected a miniature bull. 

He besides has a 26-year-old member and a 13-year-old younger sister who suffers from autism.

'Let maine archer you this, what benignant of kid we got here,' Danny said of the young boy.

'He spent astir of his riding vocation focusing connected different kids and helping them. 

'We're talking astir a kid who ne'er took a time for granted, ever wanted to assistance the adjacent generation. His lone beingness extremity was to assistance anybody who needed help.'