A parent’s job is to make sure their children are safe and protected.
Still, what happens when your own safety and health is in danger? How can we be strong and protect our children when we’re facing huge crises of our own? That was the case for Leon Ford, a father who lives in Philadelphia who faced terrible circumstances when he was shot five times by a police officer during a routine traffic stop when he was mistaken for someone else. He was 19 years old at the time and his son had not yet been born.
Though he survived, the incident left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Despite the enormous obstacles he faced, however, he found that it was his son who was taking care of him.
Before his son was even born, Ford said that just the idea of his son being born was enough to keep him going—and help him survive:
“I know I wanted to survive and I thought about my son, right? Because his mom was still pregnant, you know, and I was like, ‘I want to meet him.’ You know, because I have such a special bond with my father and that meant a lot to me.”
Ford’s son was born in the same hospital that he was staying in while recovering from his injuries.
Because his little boy, Leon, has been with him for the entire journey, he has a unique perspective on life at a very young age. “He has a different responsibility than the average four-year-old,” Ford says. “He pushes me and he loves to push me.” As it turns out, Ford means that both literally and figuratively.
My son Leon Jr. Is Encouraging me to Walk Again After I Was Paralyzed by an act of police brutality. @RocNation @TheEllenShow @netflix pic.twitter.com/ngCcszhPmx
— Leon Ford (@LeonFordSpeaks) November 7, 2017
As a result of thousands of hours of physical therapy, Ford has been learning to walk again.
Throughout the process, his son Leon is right by his side cheering him on—and encouraging him not to give up and to push harder. Because of the intense one-on-one time the two have spent together, the bond that they share is incredibly close. According to Ford, his son’s encouragement has meant the world:
“When you have this child looking up to you and telling you not to give up . . . it’s motivation, it’s inspiration, it’s hope. They said that I would never walk again, however I’m optimistic, you know, and I believe that I will.”
In spite of the impossible situation, the love between Leon and his son has kept them both going.
In light of everything he’s experienced, Leon has also started a website called Leon Ford Speaks where he encourages young adults to get involved with activism to ensure what happened to him stops happening. Above all though, Leon’s story shows the transcendent power of love between a father and son.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
Source: Facebook/Now This, Twitter/@LeonFordSpeaks, Leon Ford Speaks
