Kauaʻi girl suffers head injury, paralysis from swimming accident in Hanapēpē River

Gia-lynn ʻGiaʻ Pacheco, a 12-year-old Waimea Middle School student from Hanapēpē, is facing a long and difficult recovery after a swimming accident left her with a severe head injury and paralysis in her lower body.

Pacheco and her family were swimming in the Hanapēpē River last week when she dove into the water and hit her head on a rock, becoming unconscious.

“Her cousins thought she was joking because, you know, she likes to joke around — she’s a very funny girl and you know, sheʻs just a loving little 12-year-old girl,” said Geraldine Carpenter, Pacheco’s aunt.

But when Pacheco didn’t respond, her cousins pulled her out of the water, said Carpernter, who resides in Idaho and was at work when she received the devastating news.

Pacheco, who had broken her neck, was breathing but still unconscious when her adult cousin called for emergency services.

The Kaua’i Fire Department told Kaua’i Now that shortly before 12:40 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 7, the Ocean Safety Bureau and Hanapēpē Fire Station rescue crews responded to the emergency call at Hanapēpē River.

Ocean Safety Bureau personnel provided Pacheco with spinal injury treatment before crews with American Medical Response arrived and took over.

Pacheco was provided advanced medical care by the medics before being transported to the Wilcox Medical Center in Līhu’e and later airlifted to the Kapiolani Medical Center in Honolulu, where she remains in critical condition.

She is recovering from a broken neck, spinal cord injury, a collapsed lung, and fractures of the C5 and C6 vertebrae. She is also on a breathing machine, has an infection in her lungs, and is currently unresponsive.

According to Carpenter, doctors have shared that Pacheco has lost feeling in her lower body, and thus far, can only move her shoulders. Her path forward will likely involve extensive rehabilitation, mobility assistance and emotional care. 

The family is also unsure if Pacheco will be medically flown to the mainland for further care. But despite the situation, her family is holding onto hope. Her father, a full-time National Guard member, has taken six weeks off of duty to be by her daughter’s side.

“Sheʻs on heavy antibiotics,” Carpenter said. “When she is awake, she tries wording with her mouth that sheʻs hungry, but she canʻt eat. She loves food. She loves candy. And, we’re all just traumatized. Her little brother doesn’t even want to go back swimming and is traumatized from seeing her lifeless body.”

Pacheco’s mother warns the public about the importance of checking the depth of the water before children jump and dive in.

“Always check the water,” Terry Pacheco said. “It’s been a rough week for my honeypea. When her dad and I call her name and hold her hand, she would open her eyes or move her hands around. Yesterday nothing.”

Pacheco had a fever for two days, which she broke out of, only to have it return Thursday morning at 106 degrees, her mother said.

“My daughter is a miracle baby,” Terry Paceco said. “She has a heart of gold, and she has touched a lot of people. She is funny, silly, loving, and a caring human. She is the most strongest person I know now.”

The family has set up a GoFundMe account to help cover the mounting medical expenses, travel costs, and the specialized care Pacheco will need in the months ahead.

“I just want to try to raise money so that maybe, just maybe, she will have the chance to be able to walk again with the extensive treatment,” Carpenter wrote in the GoFundMe page. “With this money, maybe she will have that chance. They will also need a wheelchair accessible vehicle. I’m hoping to raise enough money to help.”

Terry Pacheco said: “I want to thank everyone who has prayed and donated for my Gia girl.”