Group spreads holiday cheer to 11-yo who was shot in head, left fighting for life

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    Philadelphia, PA (KYW) — A child who was shot and left fighting for his life for months is receiving some holiday cheer. The 10-year-old Samaje O’Branty was shot in the head while walking home from school on Nov. 6, 2019.

Four months later, the young boy finally returned home.

“He wasn’t giving up fighting and stuff like that so I guess my family doesn’t give up,” Samaje’s mother, Anita O’Branty, said. “Everyone kept fighting for him.”

Now, just over a week away from Christmas, Samaje is still fighting every day.

“He’s doing a marvelous job and he struggles but he pushes himself to walk, to talk, so I’m really proud of him,” Anita said.

So he’s the perfect candidate for a holiday pick-me-up.

“At this time last year he was in a coma,” Roxanne Gambino-Schroeder, of Roxanne’s Ride, said. “The family was in a hotel. This year we have a true Christmas miracle.”

A motorcycle group called The Hell-Raisers we’re happy to oblige.

Mostly comprised of retired law enforcement and veterans and they brought their bikes and presents to a delighted boy.

“He’s excited,” Anita said. “He likes it. He’ll talk about it all the time.”

The group gave him a chance to saddle up on his own Harley.

Giving gas to the notion that nothing was wrong in a holiday season surrounded by well wishers.

“It’s so very exciting that he can see a Christmas and not worrying about not having anything and he can walk and talk,” Anita said. “There’s so many prayers that we got from the world and the nation.”

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