Rankin deputy reunited with teen he saved in 2015 accident

Rankin County deputy Tyson Burleson can still remember all the details of the wreck in which he met Tavion "Tay" Grau.

Tavion, 15, was one of two teens injured when their ATV was hit by a truck last May. Burleson, a Marine with two tours in Iraq, acted quickly when he saw how badly injured Tavion was, and put a tourniquet on his leg, which was nearly amputated at the time. Tavion, who was rapidly losing blood and in shock at the scene, ended up losing his right leg, but not his life.

Burleson watched AirCare take Tavion away. At the hospital, he eventually met with Tavion's mother Kelli Grau, who told him her fear that her son, a gifted basketball player, would never take the court again.

The two prayed together, then the deputy went on his way. He didn't know if he would ever see either of them again.

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On Sunday, Burleson responded to a call and happened across four teenagers playing basketball in the road. He had known that Tavion lived in that neighborhood, because at the time of the accident someone had given his address. He had even looked for him there from time to time.

"As I drove by, something caught my eye," Burleson said in a Facebook post. "One of them walked out of the way with a small limp. I looked at him to see if he was hurt and I noticed his prosthetic leg. That was when I looked at his face and realized who it was."

Burleson said he hit the brakes immediately. Throwing his door open, he got out of his cruiser with a big smile on his face.

"They kinda looked at me like, 'Uh-oh, what did we do,'" Burleson said with a laugh. "But I think he kinda knew I was there when it happened. I said, 'Your name has to be Tavion. Man, you don't know how happy this makes me. God has truly been looking out for you.'"

Tavion's mother, Kelli Grau, came upon her son and the deputy talking. She said her son did in fact recognize Burleson when he first saw him.

"Seeing them together, that was the best day," Grau said.

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Medics told Grau that Burleson's quick thinking last May 23 essentially saved Tavion's life.

"I owe that man everything," Grau said, her voice becoming emotional. "I really do. He is just the best. I don't think we'll lose touch again."

Burleson said he was amazed not only to see Tavion up and about, but that he was playing basketball.

"He is really, really good. He'd shoot that ball and it would be nothing but air, he didn't even use the backboard," Burleson said.

Grau and her 20 year old son Toraz Westbrook took care of Tavion while he recovered. Grau, who works at Waffle House on Pearson Road, took off for as long as she could, and then Westbrook stepped up to watch out for his little brother. Now her son, who still plays on the Florence High basketball team, comes home from school and shoots hoops until dark.

"Eleven months ago we would have never thought that he would be doing like he’s doing. He’s been nonstop. He did therapy for two months, and ever since the accident he’s been exercising, lifting weights, doing pushups," Grau said.

She said the accident didn't stop her son's belief in his dreams.

"His confidence, you have no idea. This boy, he thinks he can conquer the world, and I do too," she said. "His dad didn’t want him to play basketball, but I said I’m not stealing his dream. Nobody’s going to take that from him."

Burleson said as he stood with Tavion, he was "starstruck" at the miraculous difference since the last time he saw him.

"Usually, in our line of work, we see people on their worst days, and sometimes we're not there to make it better. It’s one of those jobs, it’s not thankless, but you don’t always get to see the productivity of the work," Burleson said. "But this, I could put my finger on it. Basically it was just me looking at him starstruck almost. It was amazing, 11 months after an accident, walking, and playing basketball of all things."

Grau agreed that her son is amazing. She said he's one of those people, "you just know somebody's going somewhere."

"Look out, because he's coming," she said.

"I would have challenged him to a game of horse, but watching him play, I wouldn't have had a chance," Burleson said.

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Contact Therese Apel at tapel@gannett.com. Follow her on Facebook and Twitter.