MIAMI (WSVN) - A family is celebrating the miraculous recovery of their little boy, who accidentally shot himself years ago.
Remarkably, he’s now living a normal life.
The victim’s mother is among those sharing a lesson she hopes will save lives.
“I’m very proud of him. Every single day I tell him that. He has inspired me,” said Dorphise Jean.
Dorphise said her son, Darnal Mundy, is her hero.
She has even put those words and feelings to paper, right now working on a comic book all about her 9-year-old.
Six years ago, she didn’t know if he would make it.
“It has been very traumatizing. Even though he doesn’t remember, me and his father do remember what transpired that day, and you know I love this little boy,” Dorphise said.
It was Aug. 4, 2015, when Darnal was 3. He was looking for his iPad, but Dorphise said he found his father’s gun instead and accidentally shot himself in the head.
He would spend several months in the pediatric intensive care unit at Holtz Children’s Hospital.
“I don’t want to see this situation happen again,” Dorphise said.
He and his mother returned Monday morning to help deliver an important message.
“Today is ASK Day. ASK stands for Asking Saves Kids,” said Jackson Health CEO Carlos Migoya.
“So we’re asking the community as a whole to ask the right questions, to have the right conversations about the proper storage of firearms or any type of arms or weapon at home,” said Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho.
The goal is to make sure parents and guardians are aware guns are locked, unloaded and safely stored not only in their own homes but also in family members’ and friends’ homes.
“A question as simple as, ‘Is there an unlocked gun in your house?’ can indeed save your child’s life,” said Dr. Alana Arnold of Jackson North.
“As one of the top children’s hospitals in Florida, our nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals unfortunately regularly witness the devastation that accidental shootings have on a young patient and their loved ones,” said Holtz Children’s Hospital CEO Hamilton Clark.
With school out for the summer, these experts say now is the time to take this message seriously.
So the idea is before your kids’ next play date when you’re asking about pets in the house or discussing food allergies, be sure to ask about guns in the home too.
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