EIGHT YEARS AGO. YEAH. MECCA HUNTER BELL NEEDED MULTIPLE SURGERIES AND BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS, TRANSFUSIONS WHEN HE WAS HIT BY A CAR IN 2015. NOW HE’S HEADING TO PLAY DIVISION ONE BASEBALL, AND HIS MOM SAYS THEY COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT SUPPORT. PART AND GOT OUT OF THE CAR. I COULD HEAR HIM HOLLERING FOR ME AND THAT’S THE SOUND THAT JUST WILL NEVER GO AWAY. IN 2015, HUNTER BELL WAS SITTING ON A BENCH IN YUKON WHEN A CAR SLAMMED INTO IT. THE NINE YEAR OLD WAS PINNED AGAINST A BUILDING AND NEEDED SURGERIES AND BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS JUST TO SURVIVE. AS A MOM, I WAS MUCH RATHER TAKE ON THE PAIN THAT HE’S HAD TO ENDURE SO THAT HE COULD JUST BE A KID AND LIVE LIFE. BUT HE HAS HANDLED IT WELL. NOW, AT 18 YEARS OLD, HUNTER JUST SIGNED UP TO PLAY DIVISION ONE BASEBALL. IT’S LIKE AN EXCITING JOURNEY. IT’S A NEW CHAPTER IN A BOOK. I DON’T REALLY SEE MYSELF ANY DIFFERENT THAN ANY OTHER KID PUTTING IN WORK. I MEAN, EVERYBODY GOES THROUGH THE SAME AMOUNT OF HARD WORK BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS. IT’S JUST I HAD A DIFFERENT SETBACK, A DIFFERENT CHALLENGE TO OVERCOME. TO GET THERE. HE’S HAD TO MAKE SURE HIS LEG THAT WAS INJURED COULD MATCH UP TO THE OTHER RIGHT NOW, I’M DOING FOCUSING SINGLE LEG KIND OF WORKOUTS SINCE ONE LEG OBVIOUSLY OVERPOWER THE OTHER. AFTER THE INCIDENT, THE COMMUNITY CAME TOGETHER WITH FUNDRAISERS AND GAMES TO SUPPORT THE BELL FAMILY, SOMETHING HUNTER SAYS HE COULDN’T HAVE MADE IT HERE WITHOUT. IT JUST SEEMED LIKE EVERY TIME WE WOULD GO ONE STEP FORWARD, THERE WERE 2 OR 3 STEPS BACK. IT GAVE A LITTLE HOPE AND IT WAS NICE TO BE SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE WHO STILL TODAY STILL CHECK IN. NOW HE’S MADE IT HIS MISSION TO MAKE SURE THEIR HELP WAS WORTH IT. THE COMMUNITY COMING TOGETHER AND SUPPORTING YOU, IT MAKES YOU WANT TO WORK EVEN HARDER. I KNOW IT HELPED ME OUT A LOT BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR SACRIFICES WERE USED. THE BELL. THE BELL FAMILY TELLS ME THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY LIVE IN MAINE, THEY STILL MISS HOME
8 years ago, a child was hit by a car in Yukon. Now, he credits the community with his recovery
In 2015, a 9-year-old was sitting on a bench in Yukon when a driver slammed into him. Eight years later, a dream that seemed impossible then became a reality.
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Updated: 10:10 PM CST Nov 12, 2023
In 2015, a 9-year-old was sitting on a bench in Yukon when a driver slammed into him. Eight years later, a dream that seemed impossible then became a reality. Hunter Bell, who is now 18, was pinned against a building. He needed multiple surgeries and blood transfusions to survive. | ORIGINAL STORY | Child hit in auto-ped accident at Yukon school"When I parked and got out of the car, I could hear him hollering for me, and that’s a sound that will never go away," said Hunter's mom Ashley Bell. "As a mom, I would much rather take on the pain that he’s had to endure so that he could just be a kid and live life, but he has handled it well."Now, years later, Hunter signed to play Division I baseball. “It’s like an exciting journey. It’s a new chapter in a book," said Hunter. "I don’t see myself any different than any other kid putting in the work. I mean, everybody goes through the same amount of hard work, blood, sweat and tears. It’s just — I had a different setback — a different challenge to overcome."To get to where he is, he had to make sure the leg that was injured in the incident could match his other one. "Right now, I’m focusing single leg workouts since one leg obviously overpowers the other," said Hunter. After the incident, the community came together with fundraisers and games to support the bell family, something Hunter said he couldn't have made it to this Division I stage without. >> Download the KOCO 5 app"It just seemed like every time he would go one step forward, there were two or three steps back," said Ashley. "It gave a little hope, and it was nice to be surrounded by people who still today still check in."Now, he made it his mission to make sure their help was worth it. "The community coming together and supporting you, it makes you want to work even harder. I know it helped me out a lot because I wanted to make sure that their sacrifices were used," said Hunter. Even though they live in Maine now, the Bell family said they still miss home and will never forget how the community came together for them. Top HeadlinesFamily of Black Army captain killed in Vietnam attends mural unveiling in Oklahoma CityOHP: 4-year-old boy dead after hit by flatbed trailer in Bryan CountyDillon Gabriel’s school-record 8 TDs lead Oklahoma past West Virginia, 59-20
In 2015, a 9-year-old was sitting on a bench in Yukon when a driver slammed into him. Eight years later, a dream that seemed impossible then became a reality.
Hunter Bell, who is now 18, was pinned against a building. He needed multiple surgeries and blood transfusions to survive.
| ORIGINAL STORY | Child hit in auto-ped accident at Yukon school
"When I parked and got out of the car, I could hear him hollering for me, and that’s a sound that will never go away," said Hunter's mom Ashley Bell. "As a mom, I would much rather take on the pain that he’s had to endure so that he could just be a kid and live life, but he has handled it well."
Now, years later, Hunter signed to play Division I baseball.
“It’s like an exciting journey. It’s a new chapter in a book," said Hunter. "I don’t see myself any different than any other kid putting in the work. I mean, everybody goes through the same amount of hard work, blood, sweat and tears. It’s just — I had a different setback — a different challenge to overcome."
To get to where he is, he had to make sure the leg that was injured in the incident could match his other one.
"Right now, I’m focusing single leg workouts since one leg obviously overpowers the other," said Hunter.
After the incident, the community came together with fundraisers and games to support the bell family, something Hunter said he couldn't have made it to this Division I stage without.
>> Download the KOCO 5 app
"It just seemed like every time he would go one step forward, there were two or three steps back," said Ashley. "It gave a little hope, and it was nice to be surrounded by people who still today still check in."
Now, he made it his mission to make sure their help was worth it.
"The community coming together and supporting you, it makes you want to work even harder. I know it helped me out a lot because I wanted to make sure that their sacrifices were used," said Hunter.
Even though they live in Maine now, the Bell family said they still miss home and will never forget how the community came together for them.
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