Bryson Silver

Kristie Bergin describes the near drowning of her son, Bryson, as the “hardest and scariest moment of her life.”

When she tells the story, the waves of emotion and trauma her family endured are present like it was yesterday.

Bryson is now almost four years old, full of energy and endless curiosity about the world. It is a joy and incredible relief that Bryson is OK and a happy and healthy little boy.

If it wasn’t for the quick response of Kristie’s family, first responders and HCA Florida Brandon Hospital emergency team, the story could have been much different, and the trauma would have been replaced by grief.

What people don’t think about when a child survives a drowning is the replaying of the events that were witnessed and the painful “what ifs” that can linger on for years for those close by. Bryson’s entire family has had to make a journey of healing to learn to cope with the traumatic events of that day.

The day Bryson almost drowned

It was October 17, 2021.

Kristie was leaving for work when she noticed the window was open. It was a nice day, and it crossed her mind that the slider could be open, but there was a screen on that door, so she went about her day.

While Kristie was at work as a home health nurse, she received a panicked call from her older son, who was 12 at the time.

She thought her son was joking at first. He said, “Bryson has fallen in the pool. I am not joking.”

I asked him if Bryson was OK. He said, “I don’t know.”

I asked him where he was, and he responded, “The ambulance was going to the hospital.”

Kristie was only blocks away from home. She quickly turned around and raced home. When Kristie arrived, her dad, Scott Bergin and sons were on the front porch talking to the firefighters. They reassured Kristie that Bryson was breathing when he left in the ambulance.

Kristie’s dad shared what had happened. He was doing household chores when he noticed the sliding glass door to the patio was open.

He found Bryson face up in the pool.

“I screamed NO! NO! Please NO, Please Please Pleeeasse NO and I RAN and Jump In to GET Him,” expressed Bryson’s grandfather, Scott in his journaling about that day.

Scott gave Bryson rescue breaths and he vomited. He was breathing.

“Bryson had some life back in him before the medics arrived because of my dad’s efforts,” said Kristie. “My dad shared that he had yelled for my son upstairs to come down and called 9-1-1. The ambulance arrived and took Bryson to Brandon Hospital.”

Rush to ER

 “I drove to Brandon Hospital and had to wait to go back to see Bryson in the ER; that was hard,” said Kristie.

Kristie remembers when she first saw Bryson. She said, “I was flooded with emotions, joy, fear, guilt and gratitude. He was connected to so many monitors. The nurses and doctors were amazing about explaining what was going on. And although it was scary, they told me he was doing well.”

Miraculously, “By 7:00pm that night, he was the life of the party, ready to play,” said Kristie. “Bryson recovered Instantly. Everyone was so kind and so caring.”

Although he rebounded quickly, he did have a long recovery with multiple follow-up appointments.

“After we went home, we had to return to  Brandon Hospital due to post-drowning complications, and Bryson was diagnosed with flu and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). We spent a week in the Pediatric center,” said Kristie. “We have to be wary of any chest congestion since he can get pneumonia more easily due to his near-drowning.”

Bryson’s dad, Davon Silver was on the road working as a truck driver. It was extremely hard for him to not be there at the time. He was in touch every day and video messaging helped keep him connected to support his family. He is a devoted dad and his family is everything to him.

“Bryson was the first of my five children to be hospitalized. It was traumatizing. We’ve been through a lot,” said Kristie.

What Kristie would like to share

Kristie shared that if your family goes through a trauma, it is “ important to take care of yourself. Take care of your family. If you need help, seek therapy to help you cope. Work through the process.“

“We made a big pot of chili and took it to the firehouse on Bloomingdale Avenue to thank them for being so responsive and getting to our home so quickly that day,” said Kristie. ”I have returned to Pediatrics. You have to do what you need to do to find closure.”

Bryson today

Bryson is a sweet boy, a real heart stealer and just shy of four years old. He is here today to remind us that spreading love and a beautiful picture should be a part of everyone’s day.

When Kristie is with Bryson, there is a glow that radiates in her expression that she is enjoying every moment with her son.

She counts her blessings and appreciates the little things that can go by so quickly if you haven’t experienced a life-changing trauma.

Kristie and her daughter, Jayda Morgan, now work at HCA Florida Brandon Hospital. They felt drawn to be a part of the team that saved Bryson.

If you or a loved one would like to learn more about water safety, Water Warriors is a free program offered locally at High 5, Inc, funded by Hillsborough County Children's Board.