Fort Worth Firefighter Caleb Halverson is on a mission to accomplish two goals.
One would be to crawl on the floor with his young son. The other would return to duty as a firefighter.
Halverson was seriously injured last year battling a garage fire. Pinned by a beam, he was unable to reach his radio. However, fellow firefighters located and rescued him, according to KDFW.
He spent 34 days in Parkland Hospital after suffering third-degree burns and a serious leg injury. Meanwhile, at another hospital, his son, Hudson, was in a fight of his own after being born 13 weeks premature, weighing one pound, nine ounces.
Halverson was home when his tiny record-setting son was released. Hudson now holds two records — the one with smallest birthweight and the longest stay in the NICU.
The injured firefighter, who once faced denial for his worker’s comp case, still faces a long journey.
He’s undergone 12 surgeries and goes to physical therapy three times a week. He balks at his doctor’s opinion that his knee bending at 90 degrees is a win.
“It’s not a win in my head, if that makes sense. You know, like a win for me is getting back on the truck, like playing with my son, being able to crawl on the floor with him and be active with him.”