After falling 15 stories from an apartment balcony, an African American toddler named TJ Thompson from Silver Spring, Maryland, is now defying the odds with an incredible recovery. Nearly 3 years old, TJ is not only learning his numbers like most 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren his age—he’s also relearning how to walk after the traumatic fall that nearly took his life.

His grandmother, Janiel Thompson, calls him their “miracle 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦.” She and her wife, Whitley, have been caring for TJ and helping him cope with the physical and emotional aftermath. “He still has nightmares and flashbacks,” Janiel shared. “One time he thought he was falling again while in his wheelchair—you could just see the fear in his eyes.”

According to 11 Alive, the accident occurred on May 15 while TJ was visiting family at the Enclave Apartments in Silver Spring. He somehow fell from a 15th-floor balcony and landed in bushes below, surviving with a broken leg, torn neck ligaments, bruised lungs, and a lacerated liver. He spent weeks in a cast and was unable to walk.

Janiel said watching him struggle has been heartbreaking. “Even though he’s in good spirits, he can’t move the way he used to,” she said. The family has also had to revisit milestones like potty training, which had to be restarted from scratch. “He was doing so well, and then everything just came to a halt.”

Now relying on a wheelchair and walker, TJ is slowly gaining confidence but still afraid to put full weight on his leg. His grandmothers worry too, especially about re-injury. “If he jumps or falls the wrong way, it could mean another six weeks in a cast,” Whitley explained. “But he’s still just being a kid.”

The family is awaiting a medical update next week to see if TJ’s leg is healed enough for physical therapy. In the meantime, TJ is more excited about his third 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡day this weekend—and the toy trucks he hopes to unwrap. “I want a bulldozer, please,” he said with a smile.

To support TJ’s ongoing recovery, his family has launched a GoFundMe to help cover medical and therapy expenses.