He had been enjoying a quiet moment with his family on the balcony when everything changed. Just seconds earlier, he had been smiling, asking his father for the juice he loved.

He had been enjoying a quiet moment with his family on the balcony when everything changed. Just seconds earlier, he had been smiling, asking his father for the juice he loved.

Then, a burst of gunfire shattered the calm.

The family rushed inside for safety—everyone except the little boy, who didn’t have time to escape. His father returned and found him on the floor, tiny hands pressed to his head, whispering for help.

He scooped his son into his arms, ran downstairs, and managed to flag down an ambulance. Doctors fought tirelessly through the night and in the days that followed, using every machine and every tool at their disposal to keep him alive.