ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – A 7-year-old St. Augustine boy received an unexpected boost in his recovery — a personal video message from his favorite football player and the man he was named after.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley recorded a message for young Saquon Wilson, who has been recovering from a serious head injury after an e-bike crash nearly a month ago.
“What’s up, Saquon. This is Saquon Barkley here. I got to hear your story, and I want you to know that I’m thinking about you and praying for you,” Barkley said in the video.
The little boy’s reaction? A small, quiet laugh.
Saquon Wilson — named after the NFL star — was riding an e-bike with his sister the Tuesday after Memorial Day when the ride took a dangerous turn. Both children were thrown from the bike. Saquon hit his head on the asphalt and was rushed to the hospital with a head injury.
His mother, Jackie McSwain, previously told News4Jax that Saquon was not allowed to be on the e-bike at all. The incident prompted her to have serious conversations with her family about safety.
McSwain was unavailable Thursday evening — she was at work — but News4JAX checked in with Saquon and his Aunt Janna McSwain about what the message meant to the family.
When asked what he would say to Barkley if given the chance, Saquon had a simple answer.
“Thank you,” he said.
His aunt echoed the sentiment — and then some.
“What I would say to Saquon Barkley is thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you to my family, from my sister, from his dad, from his brothers and his sister,” Janna McSwain said. “Thank you so much because that uplifted him. That truly, truly, truly uplifted them. It uplifted to the highest spirits.”
Saquon is still recovering from his injury but says he is doing well. The family has set up a GoFundMe to help cover recovery costs. Click here to support.