The year 2017 makes 10 years since the young, brave seven-year-old Alexis Goggins put herself and her body in harms way just to save the life of her mother.
While nearly every mom thinks of laying down her life for the life of their children, Seliethia Parker was no different and was her daughter Alexis’ protector. But one fateful afternoon, it was Alexis who ended up saving her mother’s life by using her little body to shield her mom from a fusillade of bullets.
Alexis was shot in December 2007 when she and her mother were about to get into a car driven by Parker’s female friend. Parker’s former boyfriend, then 29-year-old Calvin Tillie, jumped out of nearby bushes and forced his way into the car.
They drove for several minutes before Parker’s friend was able to pull over to a gas station, under the pretense of needing fuel. There she called Detroit police while Parker and Alexis remained in the car.
Parker pleaded desperately with Tillie not to harm her or her daughter, but to no avail.
“Me and Alexis was left in the car with him at gunpoint and he starting shooting,” Parker explained.
Tillie turned his 9mm pistol on Salietha and shot her in the side of the head and her arm. Before he could fire a third shot, however, Alexis Goggins screamed at him not to shoot her mother and jumped across Salietha’s body to shield her from the bullets.
Without hesitation, Tillie fired six bullets into Alexis. They hit her in the right eye, left temple, cheek, chin, left arm, and chest. Tillie then showed all of the manliness you would expect from someone that had just gunned down a little girl by trying to run away. Salietha, no doubt enraged at the perceived murder of her child, grabbed Tillie and knocked the gun out of his hand.
Even though Parker had been shot in the side of the head and the arm, making sure her baby was safe was her number one priority.
Tillie was arrested and is currently serving a 60-year prison sentence for kidnapping, child abuse, and attempted murder.
Doctors told Parker that her heroic little daughter, who was shot six times, would never walk or talk again.
But Alexis has surprised people with her gritty toughness. She’s not only walking and talking, but also made a full recovery. Alexis endured two painful months in the hospital and underwent six surgeries.
Despite losing her right eye and having to endure multiple surgeries, Alexis will be finishing high school soon, doing well in school, and loves her mom more than ever.
Alexis said she doesn’t consider herself a hero and said she wasn’t scared during the event,…