A week later he was right where he wanted to be — home.

Pearson was trimming a tree for a friend in Kansas City, Kan., when he lost his balance and fell to the ground. When Pearson hit the ground, the left side of his head landed on the antlers of a deer lawn ornament.

The antlers entered his head just behind his temple. He then pulled them out of his head and friends rushed him to the hospital. Doctors said if the antlers would have penetrated even a half-inch farther, he would have been paralyzed or dead.

A 1996 Tonganoxie High School graduate, Pearson spent a week at Overland Park Regional Medical Center’s trauma unit. His mother, Pat, said she didn’t think he would be back at their Tonganoxie home so quickly. She thought, however, that having so many people thinking about him made a difference.

“With all the prayers that were going on for him and all the prayers that were being requested, I think that had a lot to do with how he recovered from this accident and how fast he recovered,” Pat said.

Before Josh left the hospital Thursday evening, doctors removed staples from his head. While at home, he is on various medications, including an anti-seizure medicine.

Pat said her son at times has slowed speech, but has no memory problems. He still gets tired often, but Pat is optimistic about his recovery.

“Just getting him home is good,” she said.

Josh will return to the hospital for his first doctor’s appointment Tuesday.

The recovery overall will be slow, but Pat said her son will get through it.

“He’s a determined guy,” she said. “He’s not going to let something get him down.”