Tripp Halstead dies at age 7; Georgia boy suffered severe brain injury after being struck by a falling limb

Adrianne Haney | WXIA-TV, Atlanta

Show Caption Hide Caption Tripp Halstead's millions of followers grieve his death Tripp Halstead suffered a severe brain injury in 2012 when he was hit by a tree limb outside of his daycare. His story inspired people across the nation with his Facebook fan page garnering over a million followers.

ATLANTA — Tripp Halstead, a 7-year-old Georgia boy who suffered a severe brain injury after being struck by a falling tree branch in 2012, died Thursday, his family said.

Tripp’s mother, Stacy Halstead, wrote in a Facebook post that she brought him to the hospital Thursday morning after she noticed he was having labored breathing. Doctors checked his oxygen levels, they said they were very low, and evidence appeared to show either a pneumonia or mucus in the lungs.

The family confirmed the death to WXIA later in a statement.

“Thank you for all of the support," Halstead told 11Alive. "We are devastated.”

Millions people have been following the young boy's life on social media since the family's life was forever changed Oct. 29, 2012.

On that day, Stacy Halstead dropped off her 2-year-old son at a Winder, Ga. day care and drove to work. At 11 a.m., she received a phone call saying he had been injured in a freak accident.

Tripp had been playing outside when a large branch broke from a tree and landed directly on his head, knocking him unconscious.

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At the time, it appeared as if Tripp wouldn't survive. Doctors told the parents that his brain had swollen, causing his body to shut down. But Tripp overcame the worst and over the next few years, his mother Stacy would share both moments of progress and setbacks with the followers of Tripp Halstead Updates Facebook page.

In October, on the 5-year anniversary of the accident, Tripp's mother spoke to 11Alive, saying: "Time is a crazy thing. I’m just so thankful that Tripp is still here and giving me more joy than I could have ever imagined. I love him more every single day. He is my world and I’m so proud of him."