SURPRISE, Ariz. — The 7-month-old boy shot during a standoff situation in Surprise last May is making a remarkable recovery. His grandparents say it's nothing short of a miracle.
"He's getting his teeth in, he's starting to walk," Susan Norman said.
They're both milestones Susan and her husband Michael feared would never happen.
"To hear him laugh, I love to hear him laugh," Susan said. "It brings me so much joy."
"There are miracles because he is one," Michael said.
VERSIÓN EN ESPAÑOL: Su padre le disparó cinco veces cuando tenía siete meses y ahora, el bebé Jaxson está empezando a caminar después de una recuperación milagrosa
On May 17, the Normans' then 7-month-old grandson, Jaxson, was living with his mother, Allie, in his grandparents' home when the boy's father, Todd Marchetti, broke in and held them hostage for nearly eight hours.
"How do I describe that day?" Michael said. "It's hard to describe. He came to kill us. That was his objective. Then he found out we were on vacation, so he had to change his plan. That meant torturing Allie and taking Jaxson away, burning our house."
"And killing our dog," Susan added. "I think that was because we weren't there for him to hurt us, so he wanted to hurt us in other ways. Hurting the baby would hurt us, burning the house would hurt us, killing the dog. He was a monster. A horrible person."
Allie eventually escaped and got help. Jaxson was still inside, however, in a daring rescue, officers got him out. Jaxson had been shot.
"Every day Todd haunts me," Susan said. "Every day. I try to not think about it."
"We thought he (Jaxson) was dead," Michael said. "I mean who gets shot five times from point-blank range and lives through it?"
Jaxson was taken to Phoenix Children's Hospital where the family feared the worst.
He had been shot in the foot, hand, shoulder and small intestine and knicked his colon. Doctors told the Normans Jaxson was a fighter.
"He was in a jumper that had a tray around it, thank God, because that deflected some of the shots," Michael said. "And he said, I got to tell you, I think this kid is going to survive."
Now, seven months later, Jaxson is healthy and thriving.
"It'd be hard to imagine having a life without him," Michael said.
"He's getting back to his normal self," Susan said.
As the family tries to heal together, they're focused on each other and the beautiful miracle they witnessed after that horrific day.
Jaxson was in the hospital for nearly four months but is now living with his mother out of state. The Normans say they just moved into a new home about three weeks ago. Their message to the community and officers involved is thank you.
A GoFundMe is still available for the family, you can donate here.
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