Four years after near-fatal accident, young boy on new journey - Action News 5 - Memphis, Tennessee

(WMC-TV) – Four years ago, young Jalen Griffin's life changed forever when he was run over by his school bus.  Now, thanks to modern science and generous Mid-Southerners, he's on a promising new journey.

Jalen was only four-years-old  when he run over and dragged 75 feet by the Fayette County school bus that brought him home that day. Suffering from critical injuries, Jalen was air-lifted to Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center.

"I didn't know if he was still living or if he had passed away or what," said his mother, Jackie. 'It was awful."

Jalen spent hours in surgery, requiring 70 units of donated blood.  And, unfortunately, doctors had to amputate his left leg.

"I didn't see him until after the operation," Jackie said. "I saw him, he was - it wasn't the same little boy I dropped off that morning."

It took more than a week before Jalen found out what happened to him.

"He asked, 'Momma, where is my leg?' Then I had to explain it to him what had happened."

Now, four years waiter, Jalen has a prosthetic leg.  Acting like any other 8-year-old, he doesn't let his artificial leg slow him down one bit.   

"I just like to play football and basketball sometimes," he said.

Jalen has no problem playing football or on a playground.  He even knows what he wants to be when he grows up.

"I want to be a wrestler," he said.

It's taken Jackie Griffin a long time to be at peace with what happened the day her son lost his leg, but she is grateful that he didn't lose his life.

"Had I not known God, I wouldn't be where I am at today," she said. "Only God and the support of the community and all the love and support that has been shown to the Griffin family."

Jackie and Jalen recently had a chance to thank many of the donors who provided blood for Jalen's emergency surgeries, when Lifeblood hosted it's annual Donor Fest.  The sense of community makes Jackie feel certain about her son's future

"The sky is the limit," she said. "He can do whatever he sets his mind to.  He'll just have to do it a different way."

Medically, Jalen still faces problems, including asthma and Type 1 diabetes.  In fact, Jackie said, he almost succumbed to complications from Diabetes last year.

For more information on how to donate blood in the Mid-South, click here.

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