Bridger Walker, a brave older brother, saves his sister from a dog attack; he undergoes multiple surgeries and is proud of his scars.
In 2020, a brave six-year-old brother, Bridger Walker, from Cheyenne, Wyoming, jumped in front of a German Shepard to protect his younger sister from being attacked.
The world hailed the young boy as a hero for his courageous act. After the vicious attack, Bridger required 90 stitches to fix the damage on his face.
When asked why he risked his life to protect his sister, the little boy simply said, “If someone had to die, I thought it should be me.”
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Bridger shows maturity beyond his years, as he doesn’t see his scars as a symbol of his bravery. In fact, he still believes in those words, as his dad, Robert Walker, stated to PEOPLE.
Little Bridger is actually proud of his scars and coolly states, “I was a brother and that’s what brothers do.”
Not just his actions, but also his powerful words and selfless attitude were appreciated by people from around the world.
The amazing story went viral after his aunt, Nikki Walker, posted about the incident on Instagram.
Along with many others, even Hollywood stars, including the Avengers cast – Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), and Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) – commented and praised the little boy.
As Bridger’s story gained popularity, strangers across the globe wrote letters and even sent him meaningful gifts to show their support.
Apart from the praise, he also got an offer to fly to the New York City-based dermatologist Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali, who was willing to provide him with free treatment.
Bridger underwent two laser procedures, after the Walkers took up Dr. Bhanusali’s offer and flew to New York.
During the pandemic when traveling from Wyoming to New York City became tricky, Bridger went to see Utah-based dermatologist Dr. Cory B. Maughan, who performed two more procedures on him.
With advanced treatments from Dr. Bhanusali and Dr. Maughan, Bridger’s scarring was almost completely gone in a year.
Robert and Bhanusali say that while the treatments aren’t “the easiest for a little guy to go through,” Bridger “took it like a champion.”
The doctors wanted to reduce his scars, bring back his wide, natural smile, and uplift his morale.
Though there is some redness and tightening of the subdermal scarring that will need to be taken care of, Robert and Bhanusali say all looks promising.
Although structurally everything looks so much better, they still have a little bit work left to do on the superficial, redness part of it.
As Bridger continues to heal, Robert finds joy in watching his “brilliant little boy” return to his normal, “fun, gregarious, and full-of-life” self.
Bhanusali also noticed, “You can see his personality, you can see his happiness and joy. When you can look in his eyes, there’s a different human being.”
Robert is extremely grateful to everyone who supported his family during their difficult ordeal last year.
Bridger was also honored with the Rocky Mountain Hero of the Year award from the American Red Cross. You can witness the young boy on his YouTube channel, Bridger Buddies, to see his now healed version.
