Tommy & Kayla Heroes in Our Time

On February 5, 2019, a family's love was tested in unimaginable ways. While on the phone with a friend and colleague, Tommy heard what he knew were gunshots ringing out in his quiet home. Instinctively, he knew that his daughter Kayla was in danger.  Without thinking, he rushed to her side as gunshots rang out. He ran into the kitchen and saw her there, but did not see the gunman. At that point his only option was to stand between her and the source of the gunfire.



 
 As Tommy held his ground, the gunman continued to fire 7 more times, until his gun was empty. Tommy fell face down on the floor. The gunman attempted to reload his weapon.   Unable to move, Tommy's only option at this point was to pray. As Tommy prayed to a merciful God, the gunman reloaded, but he did it backwards, and the gun jammed. Tommy continued praying for the life of his daughter Kayla, and his own. During the chaos, father and daughter lay on the floor, calling out to one another. Feeding off of the strength of her father and prayer, Kayla gained the energy to  reach under her bleeding, and motionless father, to retrieve his phone and dial 911. Not knowing how much time she had left, Kayla had the presence of mind to tell 911, their names, address and who the assailant was. No matter what happened, Kayla said, "I wanted people to know what happened here today." Their quick responses saved one another as the ambulance was soon to arrive.
 
Tommy fought to hold on to consciousness, not knowing what the gunman would do next. He continued his prayers until he heard the gunman walk out of the house.  Soon after, he heard the paramedics and police enter the home. Only then, did he know his daughter was safe, and he passed out. Paramedics immediately started attending to  Kayla's wounds.  "No," She said, "Go to my father, his wounds are worse."  Her selfless action saved vital moments that possibly saved her father's life.
 
 Tommy would eventually regain consciousness as he was being rushed down the hallway at Grady Memorial Hospital. Soon after, they were surrounded by a network of loved ones who had raced to be by their side. The amazing team at Grady worked tirelessly through the night to save their lives. They each suffered 7 gunshot wounds, 14 rounds were fired in all. Kayla's wounds shattered many bones in her arms and legs and caused her to lose her spleen. Tommy's injuries included a bullet that barely missed his heart and found its way into his spine. 
 
If you know this family you know their faith is strong and that they believe in the power of miracles. The first miracles have already occurred. They both survived all the gunshots. However,  miracles have their season.  Tommy and Kayla have a long road of healing, recovery and therapy ahead of them. Even though they have a tremendous amount of work to be done on their minds and body, they are both doing well and are in fantastic spirits! Father and daughter lean on family and each other as they  embrace the hard work of rebuilding their lives.  Because of Tommy's unflinching and unwavering love for his daughter, he unfortunately sustained the most traumatic injuries. The bullet to his spine has compromised his ability to walk on his own. They will require modifications to their home to allow wheelchair access, as neither of them can walk at this time. Kayla will be able to walk on her own in the next 4-6 weeks. Tommy's struggle will be significantly longer. As we all know, he is an amazing fighter and has already decided that the miracle that's needed, the one to help him walk again, will find its way to him!

Touched by this family's expression of love, we would like to do all we can to help them come through this difficult period. We are asking for your help as their medical bills mount and they are unable to work.  They have insurance, but insurance doesn't begin to cover the cost of their recovery and ongoing care. Please give what you can and share this link with other people in your social networks.

The love of Tommy's life, Afrika Pratt-Ansa has been the lead person providing aid for Tommy.  She has been a selfless supporter and will be the person responsible for administering the funds on behalf of him and Kayla with Tommy's supervision.  We thank Afrika for all that she has been doing on their behalf.

 On behalf of the Burns family we thank you for your generosity and love.