Georgia boy, 8, makes strides in recovery after tragic April tractor-trailer accident

"I just kind of went blank. All I could do is just stay put, go on the ground and tell Tristan like he was OK, he was here, I was here," Autumn Spivey recalled of the traumatic day.

The boy remains hospitalized in Atlanta, where he has been receiving round-the-clock care. He is currently on a feeding tube and undergoing physical therapy, though his sister describes him as weak and having both good and difficult days.

"He can't get up and get himself something to eat or drink. And his pain's been really hard for him as well. He's never experienced anything like this," Autumn Spivey said.

Tristan has suffered multiple fractures, including breaks to his collarbone, the top of his left arm and his pelvis. However, his family reports he is showing signs of improvement and can now sit in a wheelchair and on the side of a bed.

"He can move his legs a lot more and they're not as bow-legged with his pelvis fracture," his sister noted.

The accident's impact on the young boy was perhaps most evident in words he spoke to his family during his darkest moments. 

"The biggest thing that hurt my heart was he was like, 'I don't want to die out here,'" Autumn Spivey said. "I can only imagine as an 8-year-old kid who is going through that, what was going through his mind when he said that."

Despite the physical challenges, Autumn Spivey said her brother's personality remains intact, and the family has been overwhelmed by community support.

"They've helped us so much. We've had so many donations coming in, and that's been such a blessing," she said. "We just have so many people that are trying to find ways to help."

The family's church, Freedom Church, is hosting a blood drive for Tristan on June 22 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Additionally, a benefit concert is scheduled for July 25 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Buffington's in Milledgeville to help raise money for the mounting hospital expenses.