Instantly, he was crushed from the neck down and his legs broke in multiple places.

“My mom had freaked out and ran the other way at first and then she ran back and we prayed,” Hart said. 

The first person to arrive on the scene was an off-duty police officer and Jeremiah was pulled out of the wall he was stuck in. The officer said not to move him again and gave them a coat to stop the blood.

“I do not know how long it took, but in the ambulance, they were asking me if I could feel this, and I couldn’t feel any of it,” Hart said.

Due to the severity of his injuries, he had to have a kidney removed and a muscle in his back removed. 

“The community gathered around us and helped us along the way the first year. We could not have made it without the help we received,” his mother Bridgett Hart said. “We felt blessed beyond just the normal kindness of others. We felt the love from people and that made us remember that the Lord did love us and blessed us through these sweet, kind and generous people. It kept us fighting and going each day.”

Jeremiah’s soccer coach set up a GoFundMe page for the family, and his teachers helped him as he did his schoolwork in the hospitals.

“After surgery is always hard because you do not want to move or anything because it hurts, but you have to move to get better. The 36th one I did not want to move, it was a kidney removal surgery,” Jeremiah said. 

Not all of the aftermath was doom and gloom. 

“I made a lot of new friends and met a bunch of new people,” Jeremiah said. “Now I can relate and talk to people better about disabilities.“

Wylie High School freshman Drew Greenley, a friend of Jeremiah’s who has known him for five years, often tells others about the accident to help lead them to Christ.

“I think that Jeremiah is one of the strongest people I know and I’m so glad to be his best friend. He might be missing his leg, but he’s just like any normal kid. He plays video games and loves to swim. I love that he doesn’t let anything get him down, and he can always make you laugh.”

Mrs. Hart wrote a book from her point of view of the accident and all that came after, titled Unstoppable: A Story of Hope.

“I wrote Unstoppable as therapy after the accident,” Mrs. Hart said. “It helped get out all the emotions I was dealing with. Once I finished, I thought maybe this could help others deal with things they are going through, since we all go through hard times. I just wanted to bring hope to others.”

The book can be found by clicking the link or searching for it online.

“I would like people to know that Jeremiah also struggles. They see him as happy and healthy and he is. He is so strong but he is also still going through so much because of this accident,” Mrs. Hart said. “The doctor appointments have not slowed down for him. And the struggle is very real and ongoing. I am so thankful he looks to the Lord for support and help. It really has gotten Jeremiah and our family through each day, good and bad.”

Instead of playing soccer as he used to, he now enjoys archery, wheelchair tricks, and video games.

“No matter how tough, or how hard life gets, you are able to get through it,” Jeremiah said. “God loves everyone and with your struggles and things God can help.”

Mrs. Hart wakes up thankful and hopeful every morning that Jeremiah is still here.

“I would have never made it through this without the Lord. It has been very hard and some days still are very hard. We are still so grateful and thankful for all our blessings,” Mrs. Hart said. “They remind me every day not to take one thing for granted. I love my kids and I am grateful for each moment I have with them, good and bad. I hope I am helping both of my kids get through difficult times and showing them they can get through anything in life if they just hold on.”

Despite his struggles, Hart plans to be a pastor and investor and to continue to follow his faith.

This story was originally published on Blue Print on April 21, 2021.