Five-Year-Old Named Hero After Drive by Shooting

Autumn was playing outside when she was struck by a bullet from a random drive-by shooting. She had multiple emergency room and clinic visits and ultimately needed surgery to remove the bullet from her arm. Her treatments were full of unknowns requiring testing, wound cleaning, daily dressing changes, anesthesia, and surgery, yet she faced what came her way with courage. Despite everything she was going through, Autumn remained cheerful, kind, and polite to the medical staff. Besides her own struggle, she was also dealing with the loss of a family member. She was nominated by Kayla Black, her Child Life Specialist at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN, who was inspired by Autumn’s brave and bright disposition amid so much adversity. Kids Wish Network is proud to honor her as a Hero.

Kids Wish Network has been making dreams come true for children since 1997. We are dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories, and improving the quality of life for children experiencing life-altering situations. We started with the single purpose of granting wishes to children suffering from life-threatening conditions but have since created additional programs to benefit kids nationwide, including Hero of the Month, Project Toy Drop, Holiday of Hope Gift Banks, and A Child Forever Funeral Assistance.