Seventh Grade Shooting Victim Back Home After Months Of Intensive Rehabilitation

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – A Tupelo youth is back home after spending three months in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound weeks after starting seventh grade.
Now, a former teacher has organized a fundraiser to help the family with unexpected expenses.

For KeShun Vasser, being back home at his Tupelo apartment is a big relief.

“It’s been a little rough,” Vasser said.

On September first, just days after playing in his first football game for Tupelo Middle School, KeShun was shot in the neck by a juvenile.  He was taken to LeBonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, and eventually to Children’s Hospital in New Orleans, where he underwent intensive physical rehabilitation.  KeShun has made great progress.  He now has feeling in his legs and he can move his arms.

“After it first happened he had his bad days, but since going through therapy and all of the prayers and support he’s almost back to his self,” his mother, TeEtta Vasser said.

TeEtta Vasser has been at her son’s bedside the past three months.  While the family has medical insurance, she hasn’t worked since September.  A “Go Fund Me” account was set up, and members of KeShun’s church have helped , and his third grade teacher is organizing a fundraiser at Rankin Elementary.

“He was one of my favorites, he was like my big teddy bear in my room.  Always so sweet and always so smart.Every year, my challenge classes, at Rankin always do a service learning project and it’s to give back to someone else in need. This year, automatically when we heard KeShun had a need, we said, yes, we’re going to do this for KeShun,” said Sherry Willis, KeShun’s third grade teacher.

More than 500 pieces of hand made pottery will be for sale, along with many silent auction items from the community.  All proceeds will go to KeShun’s family, who say their strong faith, determination, along with prayers and acts of kindness from friends and strangers have sustained them.

“West Jackson church has been so amazing to us. Everybody, from supporting us, from calling, coming by, anything they have done, it’s been awesome,” TeEtta Vasser said.

“You can live through anything if you put your mind and Jesus to it,” said KeShun.

KeShun is hoping to visit the fundraiser at Rankin elementary.

That fundraiser takes place from four until six this evening in the gym at Rankin Elementary.