Paralympian Haven Shephard placed fifth in the 200 meter individual medley races at the Paraolympics in Tokyo today, she said on Instagram.
The real story is that the Vietnamese American adoptee is even alive to compete.
Born Do Thi Thuy Phuong, her father despondent over an affair, strapped a bomb on himself while holding his then 14-month old daughter in 2004. He also put a bomb on his wife and detonated both explosives, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.
Both parents died, but Haven somehow survived. Both her legs were blown off, shrapnel is lodged in her head and her body is burned.
Now she is living her dream, competing in the Paralympics competing for Team USA.
“If you have faith in yourself, you can push through,” Shepherd told People.
As she said to the BBC, “I wasn’t supposed to live.”
Her grandparents cared for her after the bombing, but they were so poor they had to rely on donations from friends.
Shelly and Rob Shepherd of Missouri would soon adopt her.
Despite having six biological children of their own, they adopted Do.
The couple heard a presentation on international adoption.
“I couldn’t rid myself from the feeling that we were absolutely supposed to do this,” said Shelly.
The rest is history, as they say.
“I got that second chance,” Shepherd said to the Sydney Morning Herald. “I am just so thankful I was saved. I didn’t go into shock and I only lost my legs. I could have lost my life.
“I’ve always joked with my siblings [that] I’m the miracle child.”
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