The Boy Who Beat the Odds: Dylan’s Near-Drowning Miracle Story

Episode 8: Eight-year-old Dylan Smith is all energy, jokes, and big dreams today—but his miracle story begins with every parent’s worst nightmare: a near-drowning in the family’s backyard pool. In this special Month of Miracles episode of On Call, Off Script, host Ruelle Champion sits down with Dylan’s mom, Tiffany Smith, pediatric critical care doctor Dr. Asumthia Jeyapalan, and pediatric physical therapist Kyle Zreibe to share how a summer afternoon turned into a life-or-death emergency. Tiffany walks us through the terrifying moments of finding Dylan unresponsive in the water, calling 911, and watching her husband and a neighbor, Lissette Medina, who happens to work as a physician assistant at Holtz Children’s Hospital, perform CPR until fire rescue arrived. Dr. Jeyapalan helps listeners understand what those first moments mean for a child after a near-drowning, why quick action matters so much, and how the team at Holtz Children’s came together to give Dylan the best possible chance when everything was still unknown. Then, Kyle narrates how rehab turned basic movements like sitting, standing, and taking those first steps into major milestones for Dylan and his family. Finally, Dylan joins the conversation himself to talk about snakes, Disney rides, and what it feels like to be a “miracle story” at Jackson. It’s an honest, emotional, and ultimately uplifting reminder that it truly takes a village to save a child, support a family, and help a little boy get back to just being a kid again. Guest Bios: Asumthia Jeyapalan, DO Dr. Asumthia Jeyapalan is an attending doctor in the Holtz Children’s Hospital pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), and an associate professor of pediatric critical care medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. In this episode, she explains what happens to a child’s body during a near-drowning, why immediate, high-quality CPR is critical, and how the PICU team supported Dylan Smith’s lungs, brain, and vital organs during the most uncertain hours of his recovery. Kyle Zreibe Kyle Zreibe is a physical therapist at Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center for The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at UHealth/Jackson Memorial. He specializes in pediatric rehabilitation, and was consulted to begin physical therapy with Dylan when he was admitted to the PICU. Zreibe was Dylan’s primary physical therapist when he was admitted to Lynn Rehabilitation Center, and now follows him in the center’s outpatient clinic. Tiffany Smith Tiffany Smith is Dylan’s mom and a devoted parent who, alongside her husband Brandon, faced every family’s worst nightmare when their young son experienced a near-drowning accident. In this episode, Tiffany shares her family’s story with honesty and vulnerability, reflecting on the fear, resilience, and community support that carried them through Dylan’s recovery. She and Brandon are also parents to their 13-year-old daughter, Olivia. Dylan Smith Dylan Smith is an energetic, curious kid with a big personality and even bigger dreams. After surviving a near-drowning at a young age, Dylan became one of Jackson Health System’s miracle stories. In this episode, he joins the conversation himself—sharing his love for adventure, laughter, and life, and reminding listeners what recovery, resilience, and hope truly look like through a child’s eyes.