Unshelved by Bill Barnes and Gene Ambaum
comic strip overdue media

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

This child has more spirit than most people have their entire lifetimes

Child Shot Protecting Mom Hailed a Hero

Okay, it should be 'heroine', but the sentiment is true. A former boyfriend of her mother's forced his way into the back seat of the car where she was sitting. When he went to fire at her mother, who was in the front passenger seat, Alexis Goggins, who is only 7 years old and has epilepsy and a learning disability after suffering a stroke at age one, threw herself in front of the bullets, screaming for him not to hurt her mommy.

Her mother was shot twice including once in the chest that nearly hit an artery, but survived and has been released. Two weeks later, though, Alexis is still in the hospital. Six slugs hit her, including one in her right eye that will leave her blind on that side. Others hit her face and jaw. She's had three surgeries so far according to an article a friend saw (YKWIA pointed this out to me.)

Fortunately, the driver of the car had convinced the gunman she needed gas and had gotten a gas station attendant to call 911 at the time of the shooting. Police arrived almost immediately, and the man was arrested at the scene. He was already an ex-con on parole. Let's hope this time he's in for a very, very long time.

My best wishes to Alexis and her family. They might want to check out the Shriners Hospital in Minneapolis-St Paul (they are in Michigan). It sounds like she could benefit from care there. She certainly sounds like a fighter who hasn't had it very easy in life. But one thing's for certain, she gets the real meaning of love, something this man and others like him will never understand.

No comments: