Meet Champion, Carter

On the Fourth of July, 9-year-old Carter was riding a go-cart when a sudden crash into a fence post changed everything. He suffered a punctured lung and five broken ribs, injuries severe enough to threaten his life. “It didn’t really hurt, but I was crying because I was scared,” Carter recalls. Local emergency crews acted quickly, rushing him to West Virginia University Medicine Thomas Memorial Hospital, where the emergency team stabilized him. Following surgery, Carter was transported to the pediatric intensive care unit at WVU Medicine Children’s Hospital in Morgantown for specialized care. His mom, Nia, remembers, “They were amazing. They made us feel at home, comfortable, and calm. Hands down, I owe them my life.” Today, Carter is happy, healthy, and thriving, a living example of how swift emergency response and expert pediatric care can turn a terrifying accident into a story of resilience and recovery.