Young Shooting Survivor Reunites With Care Team at Ohio EMS Conference

On Monday, May 18, Layton Waugh stood face-to-face with the emergency responders and medical professionals who helped save his life.

Five months after a shooting in Ashville left him fighting to survive, the 19-year-old appeared at the Ohio EMS Conference, presented by OhioHealth, to honor the Harrison Township EMS personnel and the OhioHealth Grant Medical Center team involved in his care. The moment marked an emotional reunion for Waugh and the people who treated him during one of the most critical moments of his life.

Waugh was shot in the chest during a December fight on Duvall Road in Ashville. The injury was severe. His family said the bullet caused extensive damage, and doctors gave him very little chance of survival.

He underwent multiple surgeries and faced a long recovery. In the weeks that followed, he had to rebuild his strength and relearn daily tasks as he healed.

This day, though, Waugh returned not as a patient in crisis, but as a survivor, able to thank the team that carried him through those first urgent minutes and the medical care that followed.

At the EMS conference, he helped recognize Harrison Township EMS workers for their role in getting him to the hospital quickly. Medical staff involved in his treatment also joined the event, turning the recognition into a reunion filled with gratitude and reflection.

For first responders and physicians, seeing Waugh healthy enough to stand before them underscored the purpose behind emergency care. The gathering highlighted how rapid action at the scene, fast transport, and specialized treatment can change the outcome in even the most serious cases.