Superboy continues to shine

Yesterday, Newsday sat down with the pint-sized hero and his mother, Amanda Graham, who spoke about how much Kal-El’s life has changed and his future plans .

“I’ve looked back at that incident everyday for the past year,” Graham said.

“I keep asking myself ‘Did that really happen?’. People always say that the hole was 300 feet deep but, at the time, I didn’t realise how far down we were and how that entire situation could have gotten worse.” Kal-El, who is aptly named after iconic comic book hero, Superman, garnered considerable national attention for his rescue but said, that at the time of the accident, his only thoughts were to get help for his mother and aunt, Antonia, who were trapped inside the vehicle.

“My mummy keep telling me to go and get help. I climbed out the window of the car and climbed up the hole, holding on to branches and vines. I was scared but I was worried about my mummy and auntie so I had to do something.” Kal-El made his way to the road where, after several minutes, he managed to flag down a vehicle whose occupants lent assistance to the little boy before Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT’s) and fire officers arrived.

Last year, Kal-El was awarded the Humming Bird Medal for Bravery/Gallantry, which made him the youngest recipient of a national award in this country’s history.

Kal-El said when he returned to his pre-school in September last year, he was praised by his friends and teachers. Despite enjoying his new-found fame however, like any other child, he enjoys spending time with his parents, playing games and watching cartoons.

“When I went back to school last year, all of my friends saw it and said that they were proud.

My teacher, Auntie Rose, saw the news and was very happy for me.” Kal-El, who has been described by both relatives and teachers alike, as having the maturity beyond that of a five-yearold, says that he looks forward to entering primary school next month and is excited about making new friends.

“I enjoy going to school. I want to make new friends and learn new things so I can go on and help people. I really like helping people.” Asked what plans he has for the future, Kal- El, says that he wants to become a police officer, but also wants to be a fireman, as he was recently named as an honourary fire officer by officers of the Santa Cruz Fire Station.

Despite enjoying modest popularity, Kal-El’s mother says he remains shy among persons with whom he isn’t familiar and would often play by himself rather than go out with others.

She adds, though he has recovered from physical injuries sustained during the accident, he suffers from mild anxiety attacks when travelling along hilly areas. “Sometimes he would just hold on to my hand anytime we’re driving across a hill. He’s undergoing counselling to help cope with the trauma and he’s come a long way since we begun.” Kal-El, who has since become a hero in his home town of Santa Cruz, says while he does not care much for being a public figure, he appreciates all of the persons who have praised him and assisted him for his act of heroism.

He went on to say that he was happy that his popularity has helped inspire other children like himself to do the right thing and never stop fighting. “I want them all to know that they should never give up on what is right.”