CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. — Cohen, the Chesterfield County 2-year-old who lost his foot after he was accidentally run over by a lawn mower, has a name for his prosthetic leg: Nubby. According to his mom, it's Cohen and Nubby against the world.
Cohen lost his foot in March. Less than a month after receiving his prosthetic, he spent a full day at Maymont Park — visiting the petting zoo, going on a long walk, and jumping lily pads.
His mother, Brittney Walls, said she couldn't believe what she was watching.
"He's walking like he's had his prosthetic for six months and it hasn't been a month," Walls said.
The day Cohen received his prosthetic, he ran out of his doctor's office like nothing had changed. Walls was recording the milestone on video.
"I feel like I've gone through the phases of disbelief. I still lay down sometimes at night and I'm like, 'This isn't real. This doesn't feel real,'" Walls said. "But when you look at him and there is a limb difference it is very real. But Cohen just rolls with it like, 'That's my leg,' just waves it in the air. We named it Nubby."
The support from the community and beyond has been significant for the family. In March, Home Depot sponsored a ramp, providing all the supplies for a local contractor to build for free.
Cohen has also inspired people at Buckingham Correctional Center. Walls said a note was put up in their peer support room highlighting Cohen's journey after they saw him on the news, and that they told her they were finding strength through him.
"They said, 'We wish to show our support allowing the family and public to recognize even though we are incarcerated prisoners we remain empathetic to the needs of others,'" Walls said. "It was pretty amazing that so many of them did handwritten letters and just to explain that, 'Keep going little buddy.'"
"I just want to share my gratitude for them. Inmates, they have a heart," Walls said.
Cohen received several handwritten letters from inmates. The family plans to write back soon.
Since Cohen's accident, life has looked very different for Walls. She has had to take time off work to juggle caring for her kids while attending doctors appointments up to 6 times a week. But she said she is focusing on family time and healing — both physically and mentally.
"Grief isn't reserved for death alone and I think that's such a powerful statement to tell the community. The one thing that we show our children is that he can do everything we do. I took him hiking the other day, y'all saw him jumping the lily pads, like he's going to try everything even if he falls," Walls said.
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