PEOPLE quotes Robert Walker as saying In the year since his noble act won the hearts of millions, his son Bridger has undergone various treatments.
Last year, when Bridger Walker jumped in front of a German Shepard to rescue his smaller sister from being mauled, he was hailed as a hero throughout the world.
Bridger, who was 6 years old at the time and had 90 stitches to repair the damage to his face, rationalized his actions by saying, “If someone had to die, I figured it should be me.”
Bridger’s father, Robert Walker, tells PEOPLE that his son still stands by those statements a year later.
“‘Do you want it to go away?’ my wife and I questioned. ‘I don’t want it to go all the way away,’ he replied “explains the father of five children. “Bridger thinks of his scar as something to be proud of, but he doesn’t think it represents his brave act. ‘I was a brother, and that’s what brothers do,’ he simply believes. It serves as a reminder that his sister was not injured and is OK.”
“When he’s considered a hero, it almost worries him because he feels, ‘Maybe I should have done more to shield her,'” he kindly adds of his now 7-year-old kid.
It was Bridger’s altruistic approach that captivated the hearts of millions across the world last July when he leaped into action to save his sister in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
When his aunt, Nikki Walker, shared the tale on Instagram, it went global, with celebrities from all over the world praising the little kid, including the Avengers cast, Chris Evans (Captain America), Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk), and Brie Larson (Captain Marvel).
It wasn’t simply celebrities who were affected. Strangers from all around the world were writing Bridger messages and sending meaningful presents to offer their support after hearing about his tragedy.
“When everything went viral, it was absolutely surprising,” Robert adds. “It’s not anything we’d ever want to go through again, but the light outshone the darkness by orders of magnitude.”
“Chris Evans’ video was incredible, and he even sent the shield. Bridger was overjoyed, to say the least, “He keeps going. “He was probably the most starstruck when he spoke with Tom Holland because it was a live call so that one left an impression… His emotional recuperation was truly a global effort, which was extremely precious to us.”
Bridger attracted the notice of dermatologist Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali of New York City, who volunteered to fly him to his office and treat him for free.
“He gave us so much optimism,” Robert recounts, recalling a dismal appointment with another specialist who indicated Bridger’s scars would take at least two years to repair. “After all of this, that was our first rainbow.”
Bridger endured two laser operations in New York after the Walkers accepted Bhanusali’s offer. Bridger began seeing Utah-based dermatologist Dr. Cory B. Maughan when cross-country travel became difficult due to the epidemic, and he underwent two more surgeries.
Bridger’s scarring has since been reduced, and his smile and morale have returned.
“Within a year, Dr. Bhanusali and Dr. Maughan were able to virtually totally eliminate the scarring,” Robert adds. “‘Is he ever going to have a smile again, or is it always going to look injured?’ was our main concern when we got home from the hospital. That was more than we could have hoped for now, seeing his smile brighten again.”
Bridger “handled it like a champion,” Bhanusali tells PEOPLE, despite the fact that the treatments aren’t “the easiest for a tiny man to go through.”
The dermatologist laughs, “I probably displayed more agony in my face performing it than he did.” “That youngster is the most courageous young man I’ve ever encountered. I don’t believe anyone realized how serious the injuries were.”
Bhanusali explains, “You want him to smile organically like himself, not like a muted imitation of himself.” “That was our win… it was the nicest thing ever when we started seeing that, I guess after the first treatment or shortly thereafter.”
Bridger is currently awaiting the results of the latest procedure on the lower half of his scar before proceeding with more treatments, according to his father.
Though there will be some redness and tightening of the subdermal scars, Robert and Bhanusali believe everything appears to be going well.
“We still need to work on the surface, redness portion of it,” Bhanusali says, “but structurally everything looks so much better.” “‘When Bridger is in junior high or high school, I want this to be a story he tells, not a memory he has to replay every day,’ I always told Robert. And I believe we will find ourselves in that circumstance.”
Robert says he’s enjoying seeing his “bright young child” return to his normal, “fun, sociable, and full-of-life” self as Bridger heals.
Bhanusali has also seen it: “You can see his personality, as well as his delight and contentment. There’s a distinct human being when you can gaze into his eyes “he declares
Robert also expresses his gratitude to everyone who has shown his family so much support over the past year.
He describes it as “simply remarkable.” “There’s something extraordinary about thousands — if not millions — of people reaching out from all over the world to a stranger they’ve never met because they’re concerned about the well-being of a 6-year-old boy in the middle of Wyoming.”
He continues, “I couldn’t be more appreciative.” “And if there’s a lesson to be learned from all of this, it’s that there are decent people out there who are prepared to go above and beyond for a small person.”