Key Takeaways
- Kendrick Lamar surprised 7-year-old Detroit fan Romell Frazier Jr., who lost both arms in a March pit bull attack, with a birthday video call after the boy’s wish to meet him went viral.
- On the call, Lamar praised Romell's strength and constant smile as a source of inspiration, told him he has "a beautiful life to live," and invited him to visit in Los Angeles.
- Romell’s mother, Preshauna Jones, who has been by his side through multiple surgeries and now serves as his "hands and arms" at home, said the call was a dream come true and that he won’t stop talking about it.
Kendrick Lamar made sure he was on-hand this week to deliver a birthday surprise to a very inspiring young boy.
On Friday (July 31), the Grammy Award-winning rapper video-called Romell Frazier Jr., a 7-year-old Detroit boy who lost both arms in a dog attack earlier this year. Frazier named a visit from his favorite rapper as his one wish after coming home from the hospital.
"What's up, man, how you feeling?" Lamar said to open the call, as seen in ClickOnDetroit's Local 4 News video below. He then told the boy: "I'm glad you reached out. I'm glad I got to talk to you."
Lamar also extended an invitation for Romell to visit him in Los Angeles. The boy's response was immediate: he wanted to know if his mother would be coming too.
Before ending the call, Lamar left the seven-year-old with a message about what his resilience has meant to others. "You continue to be great, continue to keep that smile on your face. You're giving us a whole lot of inspiration with how strong you are," Lamar said. "You got a beautiful life to live."
He also addressed Romell's mother, Preshauna Jones, directly: "It goes to show how great of a parent you are and the household you got for him. He had that smile on him, and he's just pushing, and he's showing that strength."
Jones, who spent months at her son's side through multiple surgeries and rehabilitation at Children's Hospital of Michigan, said the call was everything she had hoped for her son. "I'm just excited for him, and I just know he's going to be so happy," she said. "He’s not going to stop talking about this."
Jones has described her daily reality since Romell came home as a constant adjustment. "Now, I have to feed him. He was just able to do all of that on his own. I have to be his hands and arms," she said. Despite everything, she noted her son's spirit has not wavered: "He doesn't be sad, he doesn't be complaining about being in pain. He is as happy as can be."
Romell was attacked on March 19 by two pit bulls in Detroit. The attack resulted in the amputation of both arms, and the dogs also severely injured his right calf and left foot. He spent months recovering at Children's Hospital of Michigan before returning home in May.
