Boy crushed by skid steer bucket honored at Atlanta hospital
Crushed by a skid steer, this 9-year-old refused to quit
After a skid steer bucket crushed his leg and broke his femur on Oct. 27 of last year, a 9-year-old boy treated at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta returned to the basketball court for the playoffs and earned recognition as a Cape Day Champion.
ATLANTA - 9-year-old Banks Holbert is back on the basketball court and walking on his own after surviving a severe skid steer accident that broke his femur and threatened his leg in October 2025.
Doctors at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta treated the open wound through six surgeries, prompting the hospital to name him one of its Cape Day Champions.
What we know:
Banks climbed into a skid steer with his dad on Oct. 27, 2025, to carve trails in the woods for their four-wheelers.
The brake was not set yet when he accidentally hit a lever, causing the bucket to come up and crush his leg, according to his mother, Laura Holbert.
Doctors at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta rushed to save his leg after the machine broke his femur and left a severe open wound.
"Thank God, because when I first saw his wound, I thought for sure his leg was a goner," Laura Holbert said.
The backstory:
While recovering in the hospital last year, Banks focused on getting discharged in time to go trick-or-treating with his friends on Halloween.
Doctors released him on Halloween, and he visited a handful of houses in his wheelchair before cold weather and his injuries ended his night early.
"Oh, it was weird because I was freezing cold, and it was freezing cold, and I couldn't run around," Banks recalled.
Timeline:
Over the next several months, Banks underwent six surgeries, including a skin graft, and attended physical therapy to regain his mobility.
"It was hard getting out of my bed when I woke up, because I would have to literally just jump on one foot to get to my walker," Banks recalled.
Even when he could not play, he went to almost every basketball game to sit on the sidelines and cheer on his team, his mother said.
Doctors cleared him to return to the court just months after the accident, getting him back in uniform for his team's first playoff game.
"I just was more happy and felt more free than sitting in my bed all day," he said.
What they're saying:
Children's Healthcare of Atlanta selected Banks as one of its Cape Day Champions, an honor celebrating young patients facing major medical challenges.
Inspired by singer Michael Jackson's hospital visits with children, Banks dressed as the pop star for Halloween this year while looking for ways to encourage other young patients.
"And so, when he was brainstorming on what he could do to make a difference in the world, that was like his thing was he was like, I want to be like Michael and go back to children's health care and encourage all the kids to keep going," Laura Holbert said.
Banks hopes his journey shows other kids facing tough recoveries that things can improve.
"Sometimes you could face challenges and sometimes, like, you'll get better and everything," Banks said.
"But he's the strongest kid I know," Laura Holbert said.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from interviews with Banks Holbert and his mother, Laura Holbert, who shared details about his Oct. 27, 2025, accident, recovery and recognition from Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.