Local boy shot 10 times talks about his recovery

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - 6-year-old Mahaj Brown is now known as a superhero. 43 days after he was shot 10 time he's happier than expected.

He was talking and ready for television when I showed up at the hospital to meet him for the first time. Mahaj's tiny body has endured 14 surgeries, 13 blood transfusions, multiple skin grafts and reconstructive procedures.

"Some days I was crying. I wanted to go home. I was scared sometimes when I had to get some surgeries," says Mahaj.

But he tells me he had some good days first at St. Christophers and now here at Shriners Hospital For Children.

"Mostly that was fun to me is making new friends and one of the patients has a dog in here," said Mahaj.

While this bright eyed, affectionate and resilient little boy remembers the times he felt better his grandmother recalls the constant pain he was in and the questions about what happened to him.

"When he wakes up in the middle of the night screaming crying scared that's hard and the child questions why me? Why did I have to get shot? Why these people hurt me? Why am I in pain," said his grandmother Esther Davis.

It's been up and down, his recovery. He only has the use of one leg and one arm. His other injuries are too graphic to tell. His mother says he's determined and brave.

"I just want to see him back to the Mahaj I know, being able to run and play and be himself and not feel like he's different," said his mother LaPrea Brown. Mahaj is her strength at the weakest time in her life.

"It humbled me a lot. It got me to learn to pray a lot, to understand it is somebody up there," she said.

Mahaj will likely need more surgeries and he'll need an electric wheelchair when he is finally able to go home.

There's a GoFundMe page set up for donations.