Nine years ago, Detroit native Kevin Morton Jr. received a gunshot wound that put him in a coma for weeks. Doctors gave him a 10% chance of survival, and not only did Morton beat the odds, but this month, he graduated from medical school.
Morton said the level of care he received after the incident was what inspired him to turn his life around and pursue a career in medicine.
At the time of the attack, Kevin Morton Jr. was just 22, struggling through college, and working full-time at an Arby’s on Detroit’s 8 Mile Road. A man shot him one night as he was closing up the restaurant.
Morton suffered wounds to his diaphragm, pancreas, and intestines as well as a collapsed lung. He was fed through an IV for a year afterwards.
When he got back on his feet, Morton decided to re-start college in a premed program at Oakland University. “When you get a second chance at life you have a new-found purpose,” he said. “Maybe there will be someone else who will come in with potential and all they need is a fighting chance.”
This summer, Morton will begin his residency at St. John’s Hospital in Detroit, the same facility where he received treatment.
“It has been nothing but a fuel to my passion, being in the same hospital and sometimes having triggered memories. I just live it as a blessing every day,” Morton said. “I thank God everyday. I’m so thankful I have this opportunity.”
We are too Kevin......best of luck!