LANDOVER, Md. -
Stephanie Minor, owner of the "It's A Family Affair Childcare Center" in Landover says she'll never forget the sight of a crazed man with a baseball bat, smashing her office window and cornering her back in April.
She prepared to take her last breath, but thanks to 19 year old security guard Jalen Farmer she survived.
"With blood streaming from one eye and blind, and glass in another, he never retreated. He kept putting himself in harm's way, to serve as bait or a decoy so the attacker would be focused and isolated at the front of the daycare center until help arrived, "Minor says.
While Minor and others called 911 for help, Farmer kept taking blows from the suspect identified as 26 year old Mickel Tyrone Young. Young eventually grabbed an employee's car keys and fled.
Farmer lost the sight in his right eye during the vicious attack. A gash above his left eye needed 20 stitches to close , and he has numerous other facial fractures and injuries.
He says he never thought about backing down.
"No, I didn't, " Farmer says. " I did what any responsible person would have, I did my job. My job was to protect everyone at the daycare center."
Eighty kids and 20 staff members were inside at the time.
His mother, Chanell Gray, says seeing her oldest son suffer has been tough.
" I say to him all the time, you really did a good job, and he always says, "I'm not a hero". I tell him, you were a hero to a lot of people that day because you don't know what could have been,"Gray says.
The daycare center held an appreciation dinner at the Jaycees Community Center in Waldorf for Jalen .
They're trying to raise money to help his mom, who has six other kids, pay for his upcoming eye surgery and other medical needs There's a 60 percent chance he'll get at least some of his vision back.
"Everybody's kept coming by, and I've gotten a lot of support from friends and the parents at the daycare center. I feel so
blessed for that," Jalen says.
If Jalen's next eye surgery goes well, he'll apply for college admission. His dream is to be the star safety for the Virginia Union football team. He'd like to major in Sports Communications.
There are two ways you can help Jalen Farmer's family with his medical bills.
You can send donations to:
Jalen Farmer
P.O.Box 215
Brandywine, MD 20613
You can also drop off donations at :
It's a Family Affair Childcare Center
310 Garrett A Morgan Blvd
Landover, MD 20785
