Share
News

Mother Tries Killing Son By Shooting Him in Head. 3 Years Later, 11-Year-Old Finally Leaves Rehab

Share

We all know that the world can be a terrible place, yet, even knowing that, words sometimes fail me when it comes to describing certain situations. Take the case of Montfort, Wisconsin, child Joey Slaight.

In early 2015, Joey’s mother Morgan Slaight, a drug addict, did the unthinkable: She shot him and his brother, Jaxon, at point-blank range with a firearm before turning the weapon on herself.

Jaxon died immediately, but despite being shot in the head, then-eight-year-old Joey somehow survived. But the prognosis looked grim.

Medical professionals initially wrote the boy off, and their estimation seemed correct at first. After undergoing brain surgery, he simply lay unmoving in his hospital bed.

Trending:
Election Coverage 2024

Six weeks later, though, Joey unexpectedly reached out and seized the hand of a visiting deputy. A short time after that, he started to sing a children’s song, and his miraculous recovery only continued from there.

“Usually nothing good comes from tragedies like that one,” Grant County Sheriff Nate Dreckman told the Wisconsin State Journal. “Joey represents hope that you can survive and move on from it.”

A year after the shooting, Joey was able to play computer games, finish puzzles, laugh, and engage in basic ambulatory activities. Yet he struggled with communication due to his cranial injury.

Physicians had to go through heroic efforts just to get him that far.

Neurosurgeon Joshua Medow even temporarily removed a portion of the boy’s skull in order to bring down pressure from his brain swelling.

However, none of the experts believed that he would’ve ever been able to lead anything like a normal life.

Still, it looks as though he may have a chance at it because he has finally been released from rehabilitation after three long years.

“I can’t wrap my mind around the things that he’s doing,” Joey’s aunt, Andra Munoz, said. “This boy has fought, scraped, clawed, and willed his way to recovery.

Related:
This Wasn't the First Time: NBA Coach's Faith Stunned Reporters 3 Different Times in Viral Moments

“What a difference, and we give all the glory to Jesus. We just want everyone to know how your prayers have moved mountains over the last three years.”

Submit your story here, and subscribe to our best uplifting stories here.

Truth and Accuracy

Submit a Correction →



We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.

Tags:
,
Share
A graduate of Wheaton College with a degree in literature, Loren also adores language. He has served as assistant editor for Plugged In magazine and copy editor for Wildlife Photographic magazine.
A graduate of Wheaton College with a degree in literature, Loren also adores language. He has served as assistant editor for Plugged In magazine and copy editor for Wildlife Photographic magazine. Most days find him crafting copy for corporate and small-business clients, but he also occasionally indulges in creative writing. His short fiction has appeared in a number of anthologies and magazines. Loren currently lives in south Florida with his wife and three children.
Education
Wheaton College
Location
Florida
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Entertainment, Faith, Travel




Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.

Conversation