I was born and raised in Chester, pa. I am the second oldest of seven other siblings. Growing up I was always involved in the sport of basketball. I got to travel to places like Alabama, Ohio, Virginia, Florida, and many other places. I played for Chester Biddy League from ages 7 to 12. At the age of 11 and 12 I was on the All-Star team. I also play for traveling teams such as youth interlock and Chester pal. I was very good at the sport. My dream was on going to the NBA.

I was always a well outgoing student in school. I was sort of the quiet type person in most cases. When I was in Elementary school I joined the choir and received a solo part for the Christmas ceremony. I always liked to have fun playing with friends and being outside ” I couldn’t wait for recess to come “. Then when I was in middle school I was able to try out for the basketball team and of course in order for you to make the team your grades had to be right. In the classroom I paid attention, finished my class work and worried about the other activities later.

When I reached high school I was still on the same path, trying out for the basketball teams and keeping my grades up. I managed to play for freshman and JV. I was averaging at least 14 points a game. From the ninth grade up to the beginning of the 11th grade I kept the same attitude. I didn’t get the chance to finish out my 11th grade year neither did I had the chance to experience what it was like to play on varsity.

On August 17, 2008 my life was changed. 12 of my friends and I were planning to go to a party that day. The party was from 2:00 AM to 5:00 AM. When we arrived the party was for adults only. Someone was at the door checking for people under the age of 18. I was only 17 at that time and a few others that I was with were under the age limit too. There were so many people at the door the guard didn’t care who he let in, as long as you had your $10 fee.

After the party was over, a fight broke out amongst my friends and others. That’s when everybody started to exit the party. I hurried and ran back to the vehicle that I was riding in. I got in the middle of the back seat and my friends followed in after me. There was somebody on the left side of me as well as on the right, the driver and passenger. We were just about to leave the premises, when someone started to open fire at the car we were in. That person shot at us at least five times. As soon as I heard the first gunshot, miraculously the bullet just missed the person on the left side of me and hit me. I was the only one that got shot. The bullet hit me on the left side of my neck paralyzing me instantly. I couldn’t talk, move or respond. My friends immediately thought I was dead. I was crouched over between the driver and passenger seats. They immediately rushed me to Crozer Chester medical hospital, where they picked me up, carried me out the car and laid me on the ground for the paramedics to come out to get me. After that I blacked out. I was at Crozer Chester Medical hospital for 20 minutes, they put tubes in my mouth to help me breathe, then they realized something else was wrong with me & I had to take a helicopter to Jefferson hospital in Philadelphia.
Now I finally opened my eyes after blacking out, I noticed that I was wearing a neck brace with a tube coming from my neck to a ventilator. The doctors had to perform a tracheotomy on my neck so that the trach would hook up to the ventilator that was applying air to my lungs. I also noticed that I couldn’t move. I couldn’t feel from my shoulders on down. I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t eat, drink, or swallow for three weeks as a result they had to put a feeding tube inside of my stomach.

I had a meeting with the doctors and they told me that the bullet hit and shattered my C-3 vertebrae, that I was paralyzed from the shoulders down, diagnosed me as a complete C-3 quadriplegic and it was a possibility that I will never walk again. I was hospitalized for two months and went to Magee Rehab for five months. When I was in the rehab I was set up with a teacher from the Philadelphia area that was coming out to see me to further my education. I was discharged from the rehab in January of 2009. I was then set up with a teacher from Chester high to do home school.
In many ways my life has changed. It has changed my life physically, mentally, and spiritually. I was a very independent young man now I have to depend on everybody. I can’t do anything physically for myself but I can do a lot of things mentally still. Some things like what you are reading now that I did, schoolwork, and telling people how I would like things to be done. That’s why a mind is a terrible thing to waste because even with the mind you’re still able to control everything that goes on around you and whatever you put your mind to you can do. This incident has made a great impact on my life. It made me better as a person, as a man, and as a Christian.

One day I was just thinking to myself, saying that I wanted to go to church so I went to a nearby church that some of my relatives were members of and I joined there. I gave my testimony in front of the congregation too. From that point one I started to speak at certain events.

In 2010 I followed through with my education by graduating, receiving my diploma and was a honoree. I also went to the prom. During the summertime the city was doing a mayor’s night out tour by going throughout 10 different high crime neighborhoods doing antiviolence rallies. I spoke at five out of 10 of them, just by reaching out to the listeners of how senseless gun violence affected me and what I’m doing now by turning what may seems and looks like a bad situation into a positive situation.

Unfortunately I don’t have my own personal handicapped van but I am still able to travel around using the septa transit handicap transportation. They take me to where ever I want to go, places like the mall, the movies, and to dine in restaurants. They only allow me to use their transportation for those specific reasons only. I also use community transit to go out to my appointments to see my doctors. I have a power wheelchair that I control with my head which allows me to maneuver myself around. This goes to show you that life doesn’t stops when something doesn’t go your way or in your favor.

I am now pushing forward into receiving stem cell treatment. I found out about the treatment online, and I found the website stemcellschina.com very interesting. I already filled out their form and a representative e-mailed me saying that I was accepted for treatment. They are asking for a certain amount of money. I’m collecting any donations and trying to get people to do fundraisers to help go towards my foundation.

If you would like to donate to my foundation it’s at TD Bank you can call
610 872 0200 and say you would like to donate to the Shakiyl Smith Foundation
or you can e-mail john.wolfe@yesbank.com

This concludes my letter. To whom may be reading this I thank you for taking the time out to do so. ” GOD BLESS ”

Sincerely,
Shakiyl Smith
#610 986 2252
Address: 316 aarons way
Chester, pa 19013

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