Little Levi Wright died just hours after his heartbroken parents revealed the traumatizing decision to take him off life support 12 days after he was left critically ill when he fell into a Utah river on his toy tractor.
Mother Kallie Wright dived in to look for three-year-old Levi after he disappeared beneath the fast-flowing waters in Beaver County on May 21.
The toddler was initially thought to be brain dead before appearing to wake up briefly in hospital, sending his family's hearts soaring at the hope of a miraculous recovery.
But Kallie, 34, took the decision to remove his life support on Sunday after doctors confirmed their worst fears, and family friend Mindy Sue Clark revealed on Monday that he slipped away later that day.
'I cannot even begin to explain how hard the last two weeks have been. From the moment my phone rang the night of his accident, to last night receiving the message that he had to go,' she wrote in a heartbreaking Facebook post.
Three-year-old Levi Wright was critically injured afterdriving his toy tractor into a raging river near the family home in Beaver County, Utah on May 21
His death was confirmed by family friend on Monday after his heartbroken parents Kallie and Spencer Wright took the decision to turn off life-support on Sunday
Millions of people around the world followed the rollercoaster ride that was Levi's struggle for survival after the disaster near the family home in Milford.
The dinosaur-loving little boy was taken by ambulance to Beaver County hospital before being airlifted to the Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City.
The initial prognosis was devastating with doctors concluding he had suffered brain death due to oxygen deprivation while under water.
But his heart was beating on its own and Levi's dad, rodeo star Spencer Wright, said the family had 'received multiple small miracles' and doctors were 'surprised by the strides he has made'.
Then on May 24, the family thought they had been granted the miracle they were praying for.
'LEVI WOKE UP!' Kallie posted, 'I am shook, we don't know much but the doctor said it was okay for me to get excited about that and I AM! My baby is so tough!
'He got a little wild so we had to settle him down again but my heart!
'He actually woke up during us talking to one of the doctors about his love of excavators and tractors!'
Millions around the world followed the little boy's ten day struggle for survival
Spencer Wright's (pictured) family is among the most prominent in the history of rodeo and he is ranked 35th in the world
Just hours later they received another cruel knockback.
'The MRI wasn't good,' Kallie wrote.
'We're shattered but it is just images that suggest a certain quality of life. Our real teller of all will be what Levi does over the course of a few days.'
Kallie posted again on Thursday another brain scan showed little improvement.
'They are keeping Levi comfortable, they attempted to wean sedation and he did not handle it,' she wrote. 'It was heartbreaking to watch and he is now heavily sedated until the next step.'
Finally on Sunday, Kallie and Spencer took the decision they had been dreading.
'After several sleepless nights, lots of research, multiple conversations with the world's best neurologists & millions of prayers we are here in the face of our biggest fear. Levi showed us just enough to buy us time for all of this.
'We prayed those things were him defying odds & proving to us that he wanted to stay here but we see now he wanted to give us time to find peace with letting him go.
'Here soon I'll climb into bed with my baby and hold him as he falls asleep for the last time on this earth,' she wrote that afternoon.
'Levi showed us just enough to buy us time for all of this.
'We prayed those things were him defying odds and proving to us that he wanted to stay here. But we see now he wanted to give us time to find peace with letting him go.
'I told you my baby was thoughtful and considerate, I truly believe he did that for us.'
Mindy broke the news of Levi's death in a Facebook post at 8.14am on Monday.
'I don’t want to focus on the bad or sad, even though it feels like someone ripped my heart out and squeezed it right in front of me.
'I want to focus on the many miracles we all got to bear witness to in those 12 days. The response Levi’s story got was absolutely incredible.
'Levi Spencer Wright - March 24, 2021 - June 02, 2024,' she announced. 'The most perfect three-year-old there ever was. So perfect we didn't get to keep him.'
'I don't want to focus on the bad or sad, even though it feels like someone ripped my heart out and squeezed it right in front of me.
'Hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people surrounded our best little buddy, lifted him up in prayer, and threw their loving arms around Levi and his family.
'We've never seen or experienced anything like it. I don't know that we will ever be able to process it fully.
'I am so thankful for all the time I got to be his 'aunt Mindy'. That is a blessing I will never be able to top.'
Mom Kallie posted her last devastating update about Levi's fight for life on Sunday afternoon
Levi visited mom Kallie and new baby brother Brae in hospital less than a year ago
'Here soon I'll climb into bed with my baby and hold him as he falls asleep for the last time on this earth,' Kallie wrote on Sunday
Friends have rallied round with a series of fundraisers for Kallie, Spencer and their two other children, leaving the family amazed at the outpouring of love.
'During this time he brought out humanity across the nation, he dropped so many to their knees and reminded them what truly matters in this world,' Kallie wrote.
'We will miss him every second of every day down here but feel without unwavering doubt this is the best thing we can do for him.
'We love you baby beans. Going to miss you like crazy buddy!'
