A sudden, violent crash as a semi-truck slammed into their Jeep on a Tennessee highway — steel twisting, glass exploding. In the split second that followed, four-month-old Zander Horton’s life, and his mother’s, changed forever.



Their Jeep was thrown onto its side, glass shattering across the road. Cayla, injured herself, fought to free her baby from his car seat. Bleeding from a deep gash in her arm, she handed him to a passerby — a National Guard veteran who pulled off his shirt, laid the infant on the ground, and began CPR. That moment, Cayla would later say, saved her son’s life.

Doctors were less certain. In the hospital, Zander was placed in a medically induced coma. The scans revealed severe brain bleeds, swelling, and a stroke. For seven long days, he did not respond. The prognosis was grim. Cayla was told to expect a trach, a feeding tube, oxygen, and a life defined by limitations.

But Cayla never lost faith. She prayed, begged, and pleaded. “God gave him back to me to be a fighter,” she said. “He’s my miracle child and my little warrior.”

When Zander finally opened his eyes, it was the first of many small miracles.

Today, six years later, Zander is thriving in ways no doctor predicted. He eats by mouth. He laughs easily. He fills his Tennessee home with music, silly noises, and the unconditional love of a child who simply refuses to give up. He adores his older brother, Braxton, and never fails to light up a room, even on hard days.



“He’s opinionated,” Cayla said with a smile. “Very intelligent. He listens to everything around him, and he loves to be challenged. For everything he has gone through, he has always had a smile on his face.”



That drive shows up most in therapy. Zander attends regular physical and occupational sessions, but Cayla quickly realized he needed something more intensive to reach his full potential. 

That’s how they found Climb Intensive Pediatric Therapy, a program that pushes kids beyond the limits of traditional therapy. Three hours a day, five days a week, for three weeks. It’s a grueling schedule Zander actually loves.



“He thrives in it,” Cayla said. “It’s like the CrossFit of PT and OT. He does more in three weeks of intensives than he does all year in regular therapy.”

The results speak for themselves. With the help of therapists, Zander gained strength, balance, and control. Last November, he took his very first steps in a gait trainer, something no one thought possible. “It was amazing to watch,” Cayla said. “I know with a few more intensives, he’ll keep building enough strength to do even more with his body.”



But like so many families, the barrier wasn’t determination — it was cost. Insurance does not cover intensive therapy, leaving Cayla, a single mother and Navy veteran, to pay out of pocket. We couldn’t let that continue.



Thanks to a $7,200 grant from Chive Charities and donors like you, Zander now has access to the intensive therapy that gives him the best chance at independence. With each session, his head control improves, his torso grows stronger, and his steps in the gait trainer become steadier. 

For Cayla, the grant is a symbol of hope. Hope that her son will continue proving what’s possible, one milestone at a time.
 

Zander’s journey has been marked by hardship beyond the accident. Seizures remain a daily challenge. A house fire 12 hours after he was first brought home from the hospital added another blow to an already difficult start. Yet through it all, Cayla has never stopped believing that her son’s life has purpose.



“He’s changed me completely,” she reflected. “I don’t take anything for granted anymore. Every little thing is a big accomplishment. Every day we get is a blessing.”



She describes herself as more patient, more loving, more grounded than before the accident. And she sees Zander as not only her saving grace, but a gift to others. “He’s one of a kind. Once you meet him, you don’t forget him. God saved him to make me a better person, and I try to help others as much as I can. That’s our purpose…to bring joy and give him the best life possible.”



For families like Cayla’s, progress is measured in small victories: a longer stretch standing on his own, a few extra seconds of balance, a smile in the middle of a hard day. Each one matters. Each one is a reminder that miracles are still unfolding.



To our donors: thank you for giving Zander the chance to keep moving forward. Because of you, he is growing stronger, building independence, and proving every day that nothing can stop a true fighter.



Zander is walking toward a brighter future. But so many families are still waiting for that chance. Give today and help Chive Charities write the next story of resilience and hope. DONATE HERE.