Anthony Borges, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School student and immigrant teen credited with saving the lives of at least 20 of his classmates, was released from the hospital Wednesday. The young hero, shot five times barricading a door with his body, was the last hospitalized Douglas High student:
A third of his lung had to be removed, one bullet came close to his liver, and three bullets hit his legs in the shooting that killed 17 people, NBC's "Today" show reported Wednesday morning. Wearing an FC Barcelona jersey, Anthony spoke haltingly to "Today" due to his injuries.
"I feel good," he said.
"I (thought) I was going to die."
His family is hopeful the soccer player will soon be back on the field, but he faces a difficult journey. Several weeks ago, he suffered a health setback and underwent emergency surgery to treat an infection. With Borges unable to climb the four floors to his family’s apartment, local nonprofit organization No More Tears helped the family find a unit on the ground floor.
But, the support for this young hero has been coming from all over the world. According to Today, Borges’s family has been flooded with letters of support from soccer leagues, Iron Man and Avengers actor Clark Gregg—friends call Borges “the real Iron Man”—and his birth country of Venezuela. “Fighter, winner, champion,” stated one letter. “I hadn’t read that one yet,” his mom tearfully said in Spanish.
Speedy recovery for this young hero.