INSPIRATION
CLOCKWISE FROM BOTTOM LEFT: COURTESY SLAIGHT FAMILY
(2); TIMOTHY ARCHIBALD;COURTESY SLAIGHT FAMILY; TIMOTHY ARCHIBALD
A long road to recovery: Joey
at the hospital with cousins
Max (left) and Brooks. “A big
part of his recovery is that
Joey is loved,” says his speech
pathologist Becky Mitchum.
“And he knows he is loved.”Slaight, a retired first-grade teacher, is
teaching him to read again. The rest of his
day-to-day life resembles any other kid’s: he
plays Xbox, eats dinner with his family and
cuddles up with his aunt for bedtime stories.
He is also rebuilding his relationship
with his father, Tyler Slaight, 37, a recovering
addict who was estranged from Joey’s
mother at the time of the shooting. Tyler
says he has been clean for almost three years
now—“inspired by Joey.”
“My boy Jaxon is gone,” says Tyler. “It still
hurts. I almost lost Joey. I made a decision
to get better so I can be there for him for the
rest of his life. I have a purpose now.”
The one thing no-one talks about is the
shooting, as they follow doctors’ advice to
avoid the subject until Joey brings it up
himself. Pictures of his mother and brother
remain tucked away to avoid upsetting him.
No-one knows how much he remembers of
that tragic morning—he has never mentioned
his mother or brother by name—but the
horror of the day is clearly lodged in his
subconscious. As Joey recovered his speech,
“one of his first words was ‘gun,’ ” says Andra.
Joey is also showing what Andra calls
“flickers”—fleeting moments of fear, rage
and sadness. “It’s like Dory,” she says,
referring to the forgetful fish from the Disney
movie. “He’ll get a flicker of something he’s
super-sad about, but it’s gone as quick as it
comes.” Despite the challenges still to come,
“he’s back,” says Randa. “His personality, his
kindness, his spirit, all of it is back.” And that
gives the family hope for the future. “God
saved Joey for a reason,” says Randa. “He has
a purpose for him.” Andra agrees. “As with
every other miracle, we aren’t able to put a
limit on what he can do,” she says. “Nothing
is impossible with him.”
■ By K.C. BakerJoey’s recovery
inspired his dad
Tyler (pictured with
Joey) to give up his
drug addiction.Who l 55