Twelve-year-old boy loses his leg on the way to school for an incredible heroic deed. A 12-year-old boy named Parker Strong woke up on a regular Friday school morning, energized and ready for the full day ahead. After he finished getting ready, little Parker excitedly rushed out of the house and hopped straight into his mother’s car, ready to be driven to school. Being the helpful big brother he is, Parker also helped his mom strap up and secure his baby brother in his car seat. The exuberant schoolboy was looking forward to attending the first Friday of the school year, engaging in his classes, and seeing his friends. His mom pulled out of their driveway and the trio began making their way on the roads. While driving, everyone started engaging in eager chatter about how much they were looking forward to what lay in store for the day. What Parker couldn’t have imagined happening is how much his life would drastically change on this day. No less than 20 minutes into the drive, Emergency Medical Services were dispatched to save the family from an extremely severe car crash.
In a sit-down interview with the family, Parker’s mom, Sharonda Strong, emotionally explained how shocking the incident was because the day seemed like any other.
“The morning of the accident was like any regular morning. It was the first Friday of the school year, so it was still exciting. We were like, ‘All right, let’s get ready, let’s take a picture,’ you know.”
After the proud mom finished snapping cute pictures of her son, the family proceeded to get on the road.
“So, as we’re traveling from our house, we got past the high school and Parker said—we were just talking in the car—and he said, ‘I kind of started stumbling on my words,’ and he said that, ‘I just, I wasn’t responding to him.'”
After she finished her statement, Parker was then brought onto the scene.
“I remember having a conversation with my mom, and then she just stopped speaking to me.”
Immediate response: Strong had suffered a seizure while driving, which is what rendered her unconscious and unable to respond to Parker. The brave boy immediately sprung into action. Despite his lack of experience driving a vehicle, he unbuckled his seat belt and took control of the wheel as the car sped out of control and into oncoming traffic. After Parker grabbed the wheel, the car hit a tree. He did tell how fast everything happened and how quick he had to be on his feet at that moment.
“I remember grabbing the wheel, steering away from the oncoming traffic.”
Proud mama Strong reiterated how fearless her son was at that moment. Looking back on the horrific experience, she confirmed that what Parker did that morning had undoubtedly saved all their lives. Brave boy Parker had a life-saving knee-jerk reaction that few people can claim to harness. Recalling how his gut instinct enabled him to take control of the car, Parker reiterated:
“And then from there, it’s just like a few moments, I remember—I remember screaming. I remember seeing my brother. My eyes felt foggy, and I remember looking down and I saw that my ankle had broken.”
The injuries suffered by the trio varied in degree. Parker’s mom had a few broken fingers and a tailbone fracture, while her youngest baby boy thankfully was uninjured and only had to have a few minor stitches. Parker’s injuries, unfortunately, were more severe than his mother’s and baby brother’s. The 12-year-old boy was rushed to the hospital with a broken ankle, punctured kidneys, broken ribs, and a perforated gallbladder. His mother remembered how devastated she was when she gained consciousness and saw the disastrous wreck in front of her.
“I knew something was wrong. When we got to the hospital, I kept saying, ‘Where’s Parker? Where’s Parker?’ Every time I said, ‘Where’s Parker?’ no one would answer me. They just kept quiet.”
Nineteen days into a two-month-long hospital stay, Parker was told that he would need to have his leg amputated because his broken ankle was blocking his blood circulation. The little boy was justifiably devastated after hearing the news. Months following the amputation, his mental health rapidly declined, and Parker’s mother reported he developed severe depression and anxiety. Parker had a tough time adjusting to his new normal after the amputation procedure. However, the strong young boy fought hard to regain his usual cheery, confident, and active self. With the help and generosity of the Greenville Shriners Children’s in-house Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services (POPS) team, Parker was fitted with a prosthetic leg. This allows him comfort, support, and the ability to become active in sports again. His mother confirms that Parker has gotten his happiness back and continues to persevere with a positive outlook on life. Currently, the young boy plays basketball on his middle school team.
At such a young age, Parker showed an unbelievable amount of strength and courage that most might never achieve in a lifetime. Parker is also turning his pain into purpose by becoming an advocate and support system for those who have also suffered from tragedies. His compassion has allowed him to let people know that he can relate to their painful stories and assure them that they’re never alone. According to his mom, these days, Parker is as strong as ever. The team at Shriners Children’s helped to break the chains off Parker and now he’s limitless. They gave him his personality back, and now Parker is using his story to comfort others. The phenomenal 12-year-old has even been compared to classic superheroes like Spider-Man, and rightfully so, because his actions showed that he’s a real-life, modern-day superhero. Strong shared the following with regard to her son’s heroic personality:
“I tell people all the time, I live with Spiderman and Peter Parker all the time. Because they look at Spider-Man, ‘Well, you don’t understand, Bryson, he’s a real-life hero.’ And I always say, ‘He saved my life, but he saved yours too.'”
Parker’s compassion and courage are certainly qualities to admire and inspire. When asked about how he defines his interpretation of what it means to be a hero, he said:
“A hero, to me, is a person that, no matter what, does as much as they possibly can to make sure everything stays intact, and that’s exactly what I want to make sure I do for not only just my mom and my brother, but for everyone that’s ever around me.”
Strong is an incredibly proud mother and is more than thankful for having raised her son with such essential and compassionate traits. She reported on Parker’s continued tenacity and wants her son to know that he can accomplish anything.
“He hasn’t let anything stop him. Yeah, just keep going. The sky’s the limit.”
At such a young age, Parker showed an unbelievable amount of strength and courage that most might never achieve in a lifetime. The brave and heroic antics of children continue to inspire those old enough to fully grasp and understand the magnitude of their heroism.
“I want everyone to know that no matter how big of a person he became in life, he always made sure that, um, everyone around him was okay and was in great care.”
Parker now lives a life of fulfillment and happiness, focusing on his sports and helping others through difficult times.
