MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Nothing can stop Antario Davis, also known as Terry, from reaching new heights. His fame brought him the most immeasurable fortune.
“It makes me happy. I mean very happy,” said Davis.
You might remember the Back It Up Terry video. It is the viral video where Terry lights a firecracker, but his wheelchair stalls before he could move away from the sparks.
“I didn’t realize that there’s people out there in the world that actually want to be around me,” said Davis.
It was a fame that came at a crucial moment in Terry’s life.
“Terry has been in a wheelchair now about 10 years. What happened is that he had a slip and fall getting out of the tub. The lower part of his back hit the tub and his neck hit the toilet,” said Annette Carter, Davis' mother.
His accident caused a spinal cord injury in which he can no longer walk.
“It was one of the worst things especially as a mother to see her only child cannot move. He was so active. Terry was a super active person, but it took a lot of his spirit away,” said Carter. “I’m not going to cry. I’m not going to cry. It’s been a long hard journey just watching my child go from here to down here.”
Although difficult, Davis knew he had to fight.
“I was in a very deep depression to where I tried to hurt myself. Then, I thought in my head. The only thing I thought about was my mom and my grandmother and how it would hurt them if I hurt myself like that,” said Davis.
When his video went viral, the love that poured in was just the medicine Davis needed to bounce back.
“It’s really awesome. I want to thank all of my fans that’s out there that’s helping me with getting myself back up to where I was because I was just in a depressive state. I’m better now. I’m bringing myself back up,” said Davis.
He was gifted a new wheelchair, so no more stalling.
He still has day-to-day challenges. For example, his wheelchair is too big to move around in his home. His van is also having problems which interferes with Davis getting from one location to another.
“Everything is kind of a little hard, but I still try to do everything that I can do on my own,” said Davis. “I’m just proud of myself.”
Davis and his family are currently working on getting a new van. They said he hasn’t been on a trip since injuring his spinal cord. Their goal is to drive around the country, so Davis can visit more of his fans.
For this July 4th holiday, Terry is also reminding people about firework safety.
“I want to say to everybody, be careful when you’re lighting fireworks. If it does not go off, do not go and try to relight it because it’s already lit. If you try to relight it, it can hurt you very badly. Be careful everybody from experience from myself. Be extra careful,” said Davis.