MINNEAPOLIS — "I wish I could run, wrestle," said 16-year-old Cashmere Grunau.
Cashmere, known as Cash, is used to defying the odds on the football field at North High. Last Wednesday, it was no different.
"The doctors kept saying I got lucky," said Cash.
The standout North High football player and wrestler was shot three times in his legs while walking home in his north Minneapolis neighborhood.
"At first I didn't realize what had happened," said Cash. "After I had sat down after running away, I kind of did a little self-assessment — patted myself to see if I did get shot — and when I lifted my hand up, it was full of blood. And that moment in time, I could feel my heart start beating fast, and starting to get more stressful for me, and my head started going elsewhere. And as soon as I started panicking, I heard a voice, he goes, 'You gonna be alright.'"
"Feeling a lot of emotions, anger, sadness and sad that I wasn’t able to protect him from something like this, it’s just that whole life flashes before your eyes," said Jamal Rayford, Cash's dad. "That ride to the hospital and just everything, I couldn’t imagine anything happening to my little guy.”
Rayford said it's been an emotional few days for loved ones, filled with ups and downs.
"I'm grateful that we are able to sit here next to him, and have this conversation," said Rayford. "But I feel bad for the families that have experienced something like this and have not been able to wake up the next day and see their child getting up and walking."
Cash says it's a long journey to recovery ahead.
"I didn't get hit in major bones or arteries — two of the bullets came in and out — pure muscle," he said. "I just got one bullet in my right leg, so I'm hoping eventually, as I heal, it will slowly push itself up to the surface."
He's remembering the angels who he says watched over him.
"One of them being my brother, D-Hill (Deshaun Hill). I'm 100% positive he was there with me that night," he said. “One thing I had to do when I went to the hospital, I picked up the phone and called (Hill's mother) right away, and I had to let her know her son was there for me that night. Her son was there for me that night and that’s why I was able to get up less than 23 hours later."
Inspiring him to keep pushing forward, along with the help of his village, loved ones and teammates.
"I have to get better, I have to get back to my brothers on the field. I have to get back to them," he said. "When I do get back, I'm going to go crazy. If this couldn't stop me, nothing will."
"Nothing will, nothing will stop him, ever," said Rayford.
Friends started a GoFundMe page to help Cash as he recovers. To support, visit the link here.
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