NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Many will remember this story from 2010. A large falling rock hit a two-year-old in the head while the family was visiting Fall Creek Falls State Park. It's been quite the journey for that family, but now, there's a great update.
"It's hard to explain, but I do think about it quite often," said Michael Tagert. "I almost didn't go that day."
In 2010, Tagert was a volunteer firefighter for the Gallatin Fire Department. He was visiting Fall Creek Falls State Park with family. Then, he heard it. A rock about the size of a basketball fell and hit a two-year-old in the head.
Tagert ran over to race the child up a long trail to emergency crews.
"It's just go-time," Tagert said. "I know people were screaming. I [wrapped my shirt] to control the bleeding a little bit. His mouth was black and blue, barely breathing. I just didn't know how it was going to turn out."
That child was Caleb Brown. His parents, Timothy and Tiffany Brown, talked to NewsChannel 5 in 2010 from the hospital.
"Faith, I think, has grounded us with the ability to get through this," Timothy Brown said in 2010. "From many types of church backgrounds, people have just united for him."
At the time of the interview, Caleb was still in a coma, living with brain swelling and heart and lung complications.
"This is with his mommy holding him," Timothy Brown said, holding up a picture on his phone. "He's just a precious little boy."
Good news came. Caleb began talking and walking again.
Tagert was given honors for what he did that day, and people pulled together with events to raise money to help Caleb. All this was 16 years ago. The Brown family later moved to Snyder, Texas. In the past few days, they reached out with an update on Caleb.
"This is my mom, this is my dad," Caleb said on a Zoom call, introducing his parents and his siblings all crowded around the computer.
Caleb has just graduated high school.
"What do you want to do with your life now that you've graduated high school?" Timothy Brown asked.
"I want to work at Walmart and Roblox," Caleb answered.
"There's actually a place here in town that works with kids who are special needs, and they help them get jobs," Timothy Brown continued. "Walmart is one, so he's going to do that in the near term. One day, he has a big dream of being a game developer for Roblox."
"All the milestones that he's made along the way, learning how to walk again, how to talk again, to here, it doesn't seem real," added Tiffany Brown.
"His faith and his joy is infectious, honestly," Timothy Brown said. "It's been an inspiration to walk with him. It's given us faith, honestly."
The Brown family told me they wanted to say one more thing.
"I still get choked up because I don't think it was an accident that Michael Tagert was there," Timothy Brown said. "That young man will always be our hero."
"Knowing what miracles can happen and take place in life is just awesome," Tagert said.
Do you have a positive, good news story? You can email me at forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
As we honor those who have served our country and made the ultimate sacrifice, it is also heartening to see the military right a wrong. Chris Davis brings us the moving story of a Purple Heart ceremony two decades in the making. It's worth a watch.
A heartfelt thanks to all who bravely serve.
- Carrie Sharp
