Anthony King Major was shot on the night of November 24, 2010 at the corner of Card Alley and Fredrick Street. The 36 year old Major better known as King was shot to his right upper chest and right side of his back with the bullt tearing right through his spinal cord.
After a few days of clinging to life in the hospital, he survived…but that's not the end of the story.
The question we went looking to answer tonight: what kind of survival is it?
We found this once proud and well known street figure reduced to a shadow of his former self, battling consuming bedsores and fighting for survival.
We warn you, he is battling unsightly bedsores, so if you're squeamish you might want to change the channel..
Anthony Major, Paralyzed
"It is really rough for me, I am not use to this life here, but I have to adapt to this life now because it already happen."
Monica Bodden Reporting
36 year old Anthony Major is paralyzed from the neck down - He is trapped in his own body…
Monica Bodden
"What part of your body can you move?"
Anthony Major, Paralyzed
"Only my two hands and my neck I can move, I can't move anything else. And I get tired very fast."
Major - was a well-known gang affiliate from the Majestic alley area and was no stranger to police.
On November 26th he was shot at the corner of Card Alley and Fredrick Street. The bullet entered through his upper right chest and exited through the right side of his back - leaving him paralyzed.
For this man who was once used to the fast life - being bedridden is a struggle everyday - not only for him but for his mother who had to quit her job to take care of him.
Julie Arias - Mother
"Well "mammy" in the night I hardly sleep because like every hour to an hour and a half Anthony just call out for me. When I will get a good sleep is like coming on in the morning when he goes to sleep."
Monica Bodden
"Because he is in pain?"
Julie Arias - Mother
"Yes because he is a lot of pains."
Monica Bodden
"Tell us a little bit about the bed soars?"
Julie Arias - Mother
"The bed soars are pretty large right now. As you see it there and I think there is another spot near the bone, but I try to keep it under control. I just bring him out of the hospital yesterday because he was in the hospital for 3 weeks already. When it gets like that I would try my best not to let him go back there."
Anthony Major, Paralyzed
"She makes sure that I am clean every day, she don't leave me here, she just clean me up and make sure that she takes care of me."
And for a single mother who is now jobless - the cost of taking care of a paralyzed son is too much to meet.
Julie Arias - Mother
"It's very hard mammy for I alone to handle it but I got to stand up and do it as I am the mother. And as much as I can get help from people I will thank them so much but I really need some help. To buy the colostomy bags are $20 each and sometimes we can't get it at the store; they ran out so they tell the best place for me to go is Chetumal to see if I can get 2-3 pack of it, but then we need the means."
Monica Bodden
"Its $20 each and how many bags Anthony uses per day?"
Julie Arias - Mother
"3 times a day we got to change him."
Monica Bodden
"So that's already $60 a day?"
Julie Arias - Mother
"Yes ma'am."
Monica Bodden
"And then we are not even talking about medication yet."
Julie Arias - Mother
"We need the pampers for him too. The pampers are $3 for one and we change him often like 3 -4 times for the day and if he is wet or anything we got to change him. Probably he needs some ensure or something to build up his body."
The once well-known street figure told us that he has asked God for forgiveness for the life that he has lived - and he has forgiven his shooter for causing this upon him.
Anthony Major, Paralyzed
"I just think about the father and ask Jah to forgive me for my past and I only him can create that miracle for me to rise again. I just left everything to the father, I try not to think too much, because sometimes I think too much and I get some bad headaches."
Monica Bodden
"So you have forgiven the person who has done this to you?"
Anthony Major, Paralyzed
"Mammy, life goes on you know. The father, he and I will talk on the longer run because he knows why he had done it. He had abstract me for no reason. He has abstract my life, but I still have breath although he has taken me off my feet. My heart is still beating and I am still good to go. I already ask the father to forgive me for all that I have done in the past. With the father I will continue my journey. I am here for a reason, a reason in this light of Jah that nobody knows what I am here to achieve with the father because he would have taken me home a long time, he would have leave me here to punish like this."
Everything is a struggle for Major - but despite being trapped in his own body, he believes he will walk again someday.
Monica Bodden
"You believe that you are going to walk again someday?"
Anthony Major, Paralyzed
"Someday I will rise to the occasion, the father will tough me with that wonderful spirit. Someday I will rise with the sun, so the sun rise, I will rise back on my feet one of these lovely mornings."
If you want to help Major, you can call his mother at 665-0025..
