Tripp's parents have been by his side at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.
Tripp's mother, Stacy, wrote in a Facebook posting on Monday, "I just saw my baby move his leg. It was the most amazing feeling. I haven't seen my baby move in a full week. The doctors say this is great thing."
"I think today is probably the best day we've had so far, I mean, easily," said Tripp's father, Bill Halstead.
"My baby's been laying there since Monday, completely out. And just the little, I mean at first it was just a little jerk, a twitch that sent me over the edge. And now he's physically -- when the occupational therapist tried to touch him -- he physically jerked away," said Stacy Halstead.
The emotional development is happening because doctors are slowly trying to wake Tripp from the medically-induced coma that he's been in since just after the accident.
"He's still very critical, and they tell us at any moment, anything can change. So that part is not over," said Stacy Halstead.
To remember how quickly things can change for Tripp, the Halsteads need only to think back to Friday.
"The day that we were pretty much told that that was the end, we just broke down, and we were uncontrollable in the room," Bill Halstead stead.
The situation has gone from that darkness to Monday's new ray of light.
"We were ready for goodbye, and now we're ready for tomorrow," said Stacy Halstead. "You know, we've had seven full days with him. If all else, that's more than at the beginning we thought. And we're just cherishing every minute. This is rare that we even leave his side to come out, but we know so many people care and want to know, so we felt it was important to give them an update from us."
The Halstead family says they are overwhelmed by all the support they're getting. Their Facebook page already has more than 36,000 likes.
On Thursday, the owners of a Winder Dairy Queen announced plans to donate 20 percent of their sales to the Halstead family.
Saturday, May 25 2013 5:03 PM EDT2013-05-25 21:03:38 GMT
Three people remain at an Atlanta hospital a day after they were injured aboard a hotel shuttle bus that crashed with a tractor-trailer near the city's airport.
Three people remain at an Atlanta hospital a day after they were injured aboard a hotel shuttle bus that crashed with a tractor-trailer near the city's airport.
Saturday, May 25 2013 4:19 PM EDT2013-05-25 20:19:38 GMT
Georgia stands to lose $1.8 million in funding because state officials refuse to participate in a federal survey that asks high school and middle school students about their sexual history.
Georgia stands to lose $1.8 million in funding because state officials refuse to participate in a federal survey that asks high school and middle school students about their sexual history.
Tripp Halstead, 2, was playing in the backyard of his daycare when he was struck in the head by a tree branch.
