Transcript for ‘Thriver Thursday’: 12-year-old boy overcomes barriers
thankful Thursday or as robin likes to call it, thriver Thursday. It is a new year and you got new episodes of your digital series which spotlights people who persevere and I love this. It’s not just surviving, it’s about thriving and they’re achieving their goals despite life’s life-altering circumstances. People like this young man from my home state of Mississippi. Take a look at him. The day of the accident, only thing I knew is, got the go-kart out. Blanked out. I don’t know if I got hit by a car on my go-kart. It happened quick. I just got off work and she was calling me and she was just hysterical like you got to come home. You got to come home. K.J. The whole time my dad was doing cpr on K.J. When the doctors came, it was like K.J. Had some major injuries and we think his spinal cord was damaged. When he finally came to and then he looked at like me and — and he was like dead. Mom, I can’t feel my legs. I thought my life was over because I can’t play sports anymore. We got him in rehab. He really only needed to stay with us three weeks because he was so athletic and so able. He was a pretty impressive kid from day one. We would all look at him and go, that kid is going to be something. He’s going to do well. What sports can we get that kid into? They saw something in K.J. They knew that he had a gift. My husband found out that they were wanting to set up a wheelchair basketball team for kids, of course, you know, ding, ding, ding. All right. It brought out the best in that little boy. He started thriving. My coach and my family did a lot of things for me and I wouldn’t probably be here without god or them. Let’s go, K.J. The kid I was before I was in a wheelchair. Awesome. I want meme to look at me and say, if K.J., that boy in the wheelchair right there can do that, I mean, I could do the same as that. So I want people to realize that I have a big heart and I do big things. Got the chills. He he was at a Mississippi state football team and they have embraced him and been so supportive of him. He started the first wheelchair basketball team in the state of Mississippi. He was worried he can’t play sports. He won 12 gold medals as well. He was so concerned that he would not be able to participate in sports after his accident and that’s what the story and the thriver Thursday is all about. That when you think that your life has changed and, yes, it will change in a certain way, but it doesn’t have to end. And they’re just not content in making their life better. They want to make life better for others who are possibly facing similar circumstances. Boy, his voice sure dropped. Deeper voice than mine. Come on, K.J. Right after the show I’ll be hosting a Facebook live to discuss new year’s resolutions and talk more go K.J. And how you can go beyond surviving to thriving in the new year. And you can see it on “Gma’s” Facebook page as well.
This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate.