Medical Student Saves Critically Injured Gunshot Victim — Reunites with Him 25 Years Later

Damon Walker lay helpless on the street, close to death and begging for someone to help him. Luckily, an individual came to his rescue. Now, 25 years later, he met up with his hero - but did the reunion go as planned?

It was early in the morning on New Year's Day in 1996 when both Damon Walker and medical student Michael Franks were leaving parties.

Neither knew each other at the time. Nevertheless, soon enough, the two would run into one other in the most unimaginable of ways.

ALONE AND WOUNDED

At 18 years old, Walker and his friends were trying to signal for a taxi, but suddenly a brawl occurred with two men assaulting the teenager.

Consequently, he was left with three gunshot wounds; one in his abdomen, another in his chest, and the last one in his thumb.

Falling to the ground, he prayed that someone would come to help him when he eventually his vision was overtaken by light.

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A GOOD SAMARITAN

Franks drove towards him with his car lights shining as he spotted the critically injured man on the streets. The now doctor recalled:

"I knew he was in trouble and he didn't have ten to 15 minutes for an ambulance to come."

He hurriedly drove the unknown man to the emergency room and drove away. This incident was the last the two saw of each other - or so they thought.

THE MEETING

Paralyzed but content with his life, Walker never stopped searching for the man who saved him. After 25 years, and with the help of the internet, the two reunited in November of this year. Walker said:

"It's still kind of surreal in a sense, but I guess it offers some closure...I just wanted to express my thanks and my gratitude."

The two were emotional, although they tried to hide it. Many focus on the doctor's brave actions. However, he believes that the way Walker found meaning through this incident is where attention should be placed.

TRANSFORMING DARKNESS INTO PURPOSE

This gunshot victim has become a violence prevention specialist at a hospital in Baltimore, where he assists those who also suffer from being shot or sometimes stabbed. He expressed:

"If you help these people heal, you might be healing more than a bullet wound."

This inspiring individual explained that a massive part of his reason for meeting with his angel was to express how the doctor saved not only himself but also his community.

Commenting on that night, Doctor Franks opened up about how it impacted him and Walker. The urologist exclaimed:

"It changed both our lives in a great way. He found purpose. I found purpose. It was a divine night for everything bad that happened."

Their celebrations may have both ended poorly, but in the end, a beautiful connection was forged between the powerful duo, who both have a great propensity for compassion.