Nationwide — Kelvin Howard, a 13-year-old African American boy from Macon, Georgia, was left paralyzed after a football accident during a middle school game. Now, with his mother by his side, he’s fighting to walk again through long months of recovery.
On October 4, Kelvin was playing for the Appling Middle School Raiders when he suffered a severe spinal injury. His mother, Doris Howard, was two hours away at work in Atlanta when she received a call from the coach urging her to come immediately because her son was “messed up real bad.”
“Everything was going through my head,” Doris told WWLTV. “I thought my son was gone.”
Kelvin, affectionately called “Bug” by his family, was airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta after local doctors realized they couldn’t treat him. When Doris arrived, doctors said Kelvin couldn’t move his hands, legs, or walk. He also had a brain fracture and hip injuries and was placed in the ICU.
For nine days, Doris split her time between work at Wendy’s, visiting Kelvin in the hospital, and caring for her 11 other children back home.
“It’s hard. It’s hard. I spent half of my day in the bathroom crying and praying. The other half in the truck driving to work, crying and praying,” she said. “But it’s hard. I just know that as a mother, I have to do what I have to do.”
Despite the extent of his injuries, doctors said Kelvin has a chance to walk again. He has already started to show progress, now able to move his legs and use the restroom on his own, though he still can’t sit up without help. Even from his hospital bed, he keeps his spirits high, reminding his mother, “Mama, stop that crying. What did I tell you about that? We grow, we don’t cry.”
The Macon community has rallied around the family. Teachers, coaches, and parents from local schools have provided food, gas money, and daily support. A GoFundMe page was also launched to help cover Kelvin’s therapy and future home modifications, which may not be fully covered by Medicaid. It has so far raised nearly $19,000.
Despite everything, Doris said she wouldn’t stop Kelvin from returning to football if that’s what he wants. “If it was left up to me, no,” she said. “But at the end of the day, he makes his own decisions, and I know once he gets well and gets better, he’s back at it again. He loves sports. He played football, he played baseball, he did wrestling, like sports [are] in him.”
For now, the family continues to ask for prayers and support as Kelvin begins his long road to recovery. Doris said the love and support they’ve received has been “truly, truly a blessing.”