3-Year-Old Oklahoma Boy Recovers After Nearly Drowning

A 20 percent chance of survival becomes a 100-percent miracle for an Oklahoma boy.

Three-year-old Shepherd Weig nearly drowned in a Tulsa swimming pool.

He spent 16 days at St. Francis Children's Hospital and it was touch and go for many of those days, but his mom and dad said, by the grace of God, their son got to go home Monday.

"Can you say, 'Thank you for praying for me,' Shepherd's mom asked as he played with his toys. "Thanks for praying," the 3-year-old repeated.

It's the sweetest sound Allie and Erron Weig have ever heard, the innocent voice of their son, Shepherd.

"It's just indescribable," Erron said. "Our son has been returned to us and I didn't know if I was ever going to get to see him again the way I knew him and it is the biggest blessing I've ever received," Allie said, finishing her husband's sentence.

Shepherd, who is known to dress as a pirate, found himself in uncharted waters on June 21st, when he was in Tulsa with his mom and little sister, Charlotte, visiting his grandparents. The family spent much of the day playing in the pool.

That evening, Allie was set to celebrate the pregnancies of two lifelong friends, so her parents were going to babysit.

The accident happened as the family made the transition from poolside to inside, Allie said.

Allie's mother was trailing after 18-month-old Charlotte, Allie's dad was getting movies together for the kids, Allie was laying out pajamas and diapers and Erron was in Edmond where the couple now lives. But somewhere in the shuffle of everyday life, Allie said Shepherd slipped out of the house and into the swimming pool.

"It can happen," Allie said. "Very quickly."

Shepherd's grandmother found him.

"I remember hearing her screaming and meeting her at the pool and grabbing my son and handing him over to my father, who immediately began CPR," Shepherd's mom said.

Allie's father, a Tulsa doctor, possibly played the biggest role in saving Shepherd's life.

"He did big breaths into Shepherd's body and that's really what he focused on was getting oxygen into his body and that made all the difference," Allie said.

But the results weren't apparent right away, and Allie had the air sucked out of her lungs too, when she found out at the hospital that her son might not survive.

"I just remember not being able to breathe," she said.

Erron got the news and sped to Tulsa to be with his son.

"Eventually I just had to pull over and stop because it was so overwhelming, that I just couldn't drive for a second there," Erron said.

The first few hours were crucial; Shepherd's oxygen levels were dangerously low. He did have brain activity, but no one knew for sure if he'd ever be the same little boy again.

"We began praying, we never stopped praying. We walked over to Shepherd, we sang him songs, we encouraged and told him we loved him," Allie said holding back tears.

But, just like any brave pirate would do, Shepherd fought for his life and won. After nine days of sedation, he woke up.

"The first thing he said was he wanted to go home and then he just started crying," Erron said.

And now he's back home, happy and healing; on his way to a complete recovery.

"I really do feel like from poolside to walking out of the hospital today, we have been covered," Allie said. "There has just been such a sweet provision for us and we can say nothing, but that we are so thankful, and we don't understand, but we are so thankful for it, and we are so grateful that we can believe in a God that we can trust in any circumstance."

Allie said her parents are filling in their swimming pool to ensure they never another accident there.

Shepherd's parents said when they asked him if he'd like to go swimming again, they little pirate said, "That sounds like fun."

The family has been sharing their journey through Facebook as well.