LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A Kentucky teenager is walking once again after surviving a traumatic car crash. 

What You Need To Know

  • Ethan Bowling and his friends were involved in a serious car crash

  •  All three survived but Ethan suffered a traumatic brain injury, leaving him unable to walk or talk

  • He spent 93 days in multiple medical facilities

  • Ethan Bowling is once again walking and talking and working toward a full recovery

Ethan Bowling is taking some of his first steps at UofL’s Frazier Rehabilitation Institute in a brain injury walk celebration following his recovery from a car accident in May.

Ethan and his friends were driving in the rain and started hydroplaning, losing control, spinning out, and hitting a tree. Ethan’s mother, Elizabeth Little, said when she got to the scene of the accident the boys had to be cut out of the car.

“I actually talked to the detective, and he said I didn’t think any survivors would be out of this wreck. So, yes, when you have three young men, come out of a wreck like that, and the detective says, ‘I don’t think [there are] any survivors,’ we are beyond blessed with all three young men coming out,” said Little

Ethan spent 93 days in medical facilities. Little said doctors were preparing them for the worst.

“I have always told from day one, even at UK, when I was being told, there’s no possible way your son will never breathe on his own. He will never know what’s going on. He will be in a bad, you know, almost like a vegetative state with his hemorrhaging, from the TBI,” said Little.

In spite of what doctors were telling them about Ethan’s condition, his family never lost hope.

“And I told every doctor I’ve ever met, I’m like, you do not understand my son,” said Little.

Ethan is a three-sport athlete in his hometown of Jackson playing football, wrestling and track. He leaned on his faith and loved ones for motivation.

“The good Lord and Jesus, and from my parents I from my family,” said Bowling.

One of Ethan’s physical therapists, Mackenzie Free, said Ethan could not communicate and had three people helping him while trying to walking.

“I knew we had goals for walking, and I knew we had two goals for him to communicate based on his ability to give us thumbs up on the first day. He could do that, which was great. And so, I had high hopes for him, and he I will say he exceeded what I thought we would get by the time he left,” said Free.

Bowling said the most frustrating part of the recovery is getting his voice back.

“That’s because the words won’t come out when I try,” Bowling said.

Little said, the most important thing is to never lose faith.

“Today we’re been here a little over a month at Frazier and you can see he’s walking. He’s talking. I mean, he is as independent as he can be. And we’re hoping just to continue the process,” said Little.

From not being able to walk, talk, and depending on everybody, to Ethan walking out on his own. Ethan and his family said this is just the beginning. Ethan’s family said they will be homeschooling him for at least the first six months of his junior year to allow him to regain as much strength as possible and have him ready for his senior year.