Girl Forgives Man Who Left Her Paralyzed

(CBS)  Kai Leigh Harriott has a miraculous spirit. Four years ago, at the age of 3, she was shot in the back and paralyzed from the waist down. But she refuses to be angry.

On Monday's The Early Show, national correspondent Tracy Smith reported on Kai and her family's unparalleled ability to forgive.

On the night of Kai's tragic injury, she was playing on her porch in Dorchester, Mass., with her sister, Aja. A man named Anthony Warren got into an argument in the street and fired three gunshots into the air.

Aja tried to protect her sister, but, when she brought Kai into the house, she noticed a pool of blood. A bullet had shattered Kai's spine, sparing her life, but taking away her ability to walk.

While Kai spent four months in a rehabilitation center after being shot, her mother Tonya, acclimated herself to seeing her daughter in a wheelchair. "It was so good to see her sitting up (in a wheelchair) and she looked so pretty, she was so little, but I got so sick I couldn't look at her," Tonya said.

Three years following Kai's incident, a trial date was scheduled for Warren. Kai, who was 5 at the time, volunteered to attend the trial. In an emotional moment, Kai took the stand and spoke directly to her shooter.

"Anthony Warren, what you did was wrong, but I still forgive you," she said.

Kai's courageous stand moved the court, as well as Warren. Her words influenced him to change his not guilty plea to guilty, and he accepted his punishment.

In another moving moment in court, Warren, sentenced to 13 to 15 years in prison, reached out to shake Tonya's hand as he was being led out of the courtroom. Tonya said, "He apologized and his words will never come out of my heart because it wasn't a sentence that meant vindication. It was his apology."

Tonya said that she hugged him and told him that God had given him a second chance and that he should take advantage of it.

Tonya can't explain it, but she's never felt malice towards Warren. "I've never had anger," she said. "I don't know why I was given this cup to drink, but I never had anger for him."

Kai stressed how important it has been to her to forgive Warren. She hopes that other children like her can be just as forgiving. She said, "It's kind of hard (to forgive), but, as soon as you do it, it's not that hard anymore."

Doctors say that Kai will never walk again, but Tonya believes that God will heal her daughter someday. Kai also dreams of standing up on her own in the future.

For more information and to help support Kai, visit She Shall Walk Again.

[bfish031]

Phillipians 4:13 Says "I can do ALL things through him who gives me strength". In short NOTHING is impossible to Jesus Christ. Kia can be healed by the hand of God! And that is so amazing.

[kaiyo4u]

There is no sense in forgiveness; it is an overrated word. You are in a sense telling someone that it was okay what you did.

Posted by bequialife at 01:48 AM : Jul 31, 2007

Not at all, forgiveness is as much about the victim as it is the perpetrator. When a victim acknowledges the wrong and does forgive, they are able to move on with life and not stagnate with bitterness and hatred.
Living in the past causes bitterness and hatred, living in the future causes fear.

[bequialife]

There is no sense in forgiveness; it is an overrated word. You are in a sense telling someone that it was okay what you did.

[michellem99-2009]

Who knows what She will do. Maybe her Lord will use her in ways where it don't matter she can't walk. It is a pity that man paralysed this Angel. She is Sunshine. I am a New Englander.

[mzsugarfoot]

My daughter also was paralyzed two years ago from a fall. One day they will walk as true soldiers in this army of life, as courageous young Angels of mercy.

[maganap]

Kai,
You are really amazing. God bless you always. I look forward to reading about you walking and playing again. To Kai mother, you are so blessed with Kai. May god bless you and the entire family.

[mainemade]

A Beautiful Spirit, A Beautiful Child. With her faith, family and spirit she is going to places in this world.

[msnooy79]

This story made me cry.

[russ1985]

Stories like this show that there is a chance for this world

[jetlizhan]

what a remarkable child and she's so-o-o-o pretty. God bless her throughout her life.