‘Being Alive’

After 64 days in the hospital and weeks of uncertainty, 14-year-old Ryen Harris is finally home.

The Groesbeck teenager, who doctors once said likely would not survive, has made what his family calls remarkable progress since he was critically injured in an accidental shooting on Christmas Day.

The day began like any other holiday before suddenly turning into a nightmare for his mother, Sonora Smith.

“I received a message to call ASAP,” Smith said. “When I called back, an officer told me there had been an accident and that my son had been shot and would be CareFlighted.”

Smith said she learned about 20 minutes after the shooting that her son had been critically injured.

Before rushing to the hospital, she had to make a difficult call to her sister.

“The hardest phone call was telling her I needed to bring my 8-year-old to her so I could get to the hospital,” Smith said. “And repeating what I had just been told for the first time.”

When she arrived at the hospital and saw her son, the reality of the situation was overwhelming.

“It was heartbreaking,” Smith said.

Doctors delivered grim news during those first hours.

“They told us he would likely not make it,” she said.

But that first night, Smith said she felt a shift from fear to hope. Searching for comfort, she found the live version of the worship song “Raise a Hallelujah” by Bethel Music online.

“That moment gave me hope,” she said.

In the days that followed, Smith leaned on prayer and family to stay strong.

“Prayer and family kept me going,” she said.

Support quickly poured in from relatives, friends and members of the community. People organized a fundraiser, brought meals and visited while Smith stayed by her son’s side in the hospital.

“My sister and brotherin- law kept my other three kids so I could stay there,” Smith said. “Every message, every prayer meant the world to us.”

One of the biggest moments of relief came when she heard her son speak again.

“That was a huge relief,” Smith said.

For Ryen, the last thing he remembers before the shooting was simple.

“Riding to my friend’s house,” he said.

Much of what happened afterward was explained to him later by his mother, including the surgeries and the long recovery process.

When he first woke up, one detail immediately stood out.

“My head was shaved,” he said.

When asked if there was a moment when he decided he was going to fight through recovery, he said it was never really a question.

“I don’t know,” Ryen said. “I just always wanted to try.”

Seeing his mother constantly at his bedside meant everything during those early days.

“She never left my side,” he said.

His first word after the shooting was fitting for a boy who survived against the odds.

“Superman,” he said. The recovery has not been easy. Ryen said the physical pain has been the hardest part.

Still, he remains determined.

What motivates him to keep pushing forward, he said, are “sports and school and friends and doing things by myself.”

His biggest goal now is simple.

“To walk again,” he said.

Six weeks after nearly losing her son, Smith said the experience has changed the way she sees everyday life.

“I’ve learned that I can make it through something unimaginable,” she said. “And I appreciate the tiniest things even more than before.”

She said the ordeal has not changed how she views her son.

“I always knew he was strong,” she said. “He’s still the same little boy to me.”

Recovery for the family will continue long after leaving the hospital. Months of therapy and adjustments lie ahead.

“It’s been a long road, and we still have a long road ahead,” the family said. “But we’re going to get to the finish line one step at a time.”

For Ryen, the thing he is most thankful for now is simple.

“Being alive,” he said. “And that I got to go home.”

The family hopes their story reminds others how powerful community support can be.

“Continue to pray and support those who need it,” they said. “Every little thing means so much. If something seems hard, don’t give up.”