Seven weeks ago, La’Shaun Armstrong’s mother, 25-year-old La’Shonda Armstrong loaded he and his siblings into the family mini van, allegedly distraught after an argument with the father of three of the kids she drove into the dark, frigid waters of the Hudson River. As the van began to sink, La’Shaun lowered a window and swam to shore.
“He kept repeating, ‘please help my mommy, help my mommy. She’s in the water,’” Newburgh, NY Fire Department’s Ismael Torres said.
By the time rescuers found the family, it was too late. The van was submerged in eight feet of water. The bodies of the mother, 5-year-old Landon, 2-year-old Lance and 11-month-old Lianna were all inside.
La’Shaun’s story of survival touched so many, including Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis.
“Many stories you hear day in, day out, but that one grabbed me. He grabbed me from afar. First words out of my mouth were, I need him,”
Lewis tracked the family down, offering La’Shaun mentorship and emotional support.
“I just grabbed him and hugged him,” Lewis said. “I looked at him and I told him, ‘I’m here for you, man. I can’t replace what you’ve lost, but I can tell you that I’m here to go forward with you.’”
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The two formed a strong, instant bond.
“When I first met Ray Lewis I was, like, shocked. It was so cool,” La’Shaun said. “He’s like a brother to me — like an older brother to me. He says that he misses me, and I’m like family to him.”
La’Shaun’s new extended family is much bigger than Lewis. Other current and retired NFL players are huddling around him.
“We made him a part of our family. One of things we told him, we’ve got him for life,” Reggie Howard said, a former Carolina Panthers player.
They are also offering financial support for counseling, tutoring and a college fund.
La’Shaun still struggles with his new reality. His grandparents, who share custody, say he was a doting big brother who deeply misses his family and has never spoken of that night.
La’Shaun is not going through it alone. He has a large and loving family and now a team of big brothers.
Click here to visit the Ray Lewis 52 Foundation.