Three-year-old continues brave recovery after being shot in east Columbus
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- A young boy in Columbus is proving how much of a fighter he is.
We first told you about now three-year-old DJ last July. He was shot in the head in a drive-by shooting on July 7 on the far east side of the city. Six months later his mom, Bridgette, said he’s making strides they didn’t know would be possible.
She didn’t want her face to be on camera, but she wants people to know her son’s story. “He's literally shocked us all,” Bridgette said. Over the last six months, DJ has gotten to celebrate his third birthday and have his first day at school. “He acts like a normal kid,” Bridgette said.
But he also spent two of those last six months in the hospital, went through several surgeries and is still in occupational and physical therapy. She said it is hard to put into words what it has been like. “It was like a dream to this day it felt like a dream. Like, I still can't believe my baby, my two-year-old was shot like my baby," Bridgette said. Bridgette said he has had to re-learn how to walk, talk and eat. She said through it all he’s kept a smile on his face.
“He's been doing very good getting his balance back together, his left side of his body good,” Bridgette said. “To this day it’s still shocking, but it's like joy and like I have my faith. That's all I can say, I had a lot of faith for me to maintain myself mentally and physically.”
Columbus Police arrested and charged 21-year-old Xavior McGrapth in September with felonious assault. Court records said he allegedly pulled the trigger. Bridgette said she has been going to his court hearings. “I've been his voice, as his mother. It's hard to face them and look at them honestly," Bridgette said.
She is very thankful to the community for supporting her and DJ these last few months. “Everybody still prays for my baby like they still check on him. I have people that reach out and come bring you stuff like over. People we met on Facebook, come, drop them off a lot of stuff at Christmas, the police, the Columbus Police department, they've bought them a lot of gifts. All my kids actually. He got a new bike. It was a blessing, honestly," she said.
Bridgette expressed she is never going to stop fighting for justice for her baby boy because there has not been a day where he has stopped fighting. “He puts a smile on my face because he really came a long way. And I keep saying it because he really did. He really did,” Bridgette said.