10 years ago Saturday, Luke William Canfield was born at 10:10 a.m. on Oct. 10, at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center.

His mother wasn’t even aware she was pregnant until she was 12 weeks into her pregnancy with Luke, and had been told that she could not bear children.

“I thought I was sick, then I went to the hospital like ‘what’s wrong with me,’ and they told me ‘you’re pregnant,’” said his mother, Amanda Canfield. “He’s my miracle.”

Weighing in at 7 pounds, 6 ounces, Luke made his way into the world on Oct. 10, 2010, at 10:10 a.m., a very special date and time.

Photo courtesy of Amanda Canfield

Numerologists believe the “perfect tens,” which happens only once a century, symbolize a “powerful moment of rebirth.” Some claim that the day of Luke’s birth was the luckiest day of the century.

Canfield, whose due date was originally on Oct. 12, did not at all anticipate this lucky delivery, and within hours the media was on the doorstep of her hospital room to interview the new mother.

One decade later, Amanda and her husband, Chris, are the parents to Luke and his younger sister. His mother lovingly describes Luke as a happy, bright, and giving child who loves karate and dreams of becoming an instructor himself when he grows up.

“He is a really cheery kid… He is not competitive; he doesn’t care about competition,” said Amanda. “He is a little on the autism spectrum. I think that goes along with his happy-go-lucky outlook on life.”

Originally, Luke’s parents planned to throw a large party to celebrate his 10th birthday, but as with so many things in 2020, COVID-19 has thrown a wrench into the works. Instead, Amanda has reached out to different media outlets, searching for archival footage of the interviews she and Chris gave in the hours after Luke’s birth, hoping to find video they could show during his Zoom birthday party on Saturday.

Canfield and her husband plan to plaster the walls of their home with decorations announcing Luke’s age, as well as gifting him ten $10 bills,

“We’re doing anything we can to make it special,” she said.

This year is also an exceptional milestone for Luke because it is one that he nearly didn’t reach.

In April 2019,  Luke, his mother, and his younger sister were involved in a “horrific” car accident on Highway 126 involving five vehicles that left one person dead and several people, including Luke, injured.

“I spun out and was hit over five times… what I didn’t know at the time was that all the hits ended up being on Luke’s side of the car, I didn’t know if he was alive,” said Canfield.

Canfield described that she was able to hear her daughter crying from the backseat while they were still in the vehicle, asking her mother if Luke was still alive. Doctors were later amazed that Luke’s injuries were less severe than they could have been given the damage that the vehicle sustained during the accident, his mother said.

“It’s just another miracle. He spent three days in the ICU, if you see the picture of the car, for what it looks like, he should have not have survived,” said his mother.

After the 126 crash, Luke was left with a fractured sacrum that made it near-impossible for him to walk without pain and kept him in a wheelchair. His mother shared that he insisted on using a walker to visit his karate instructors at Z Ultimate Self Defense Studios in Valencia,  the dojo Luke has been attending since he was four years old.

From left to right: Sensei Bryce, Sensei Emily, Sensei Rich (Z Ultimate owner) and Sensei Hunter. Luke with younger sister Olivia in the middle. Photo courtesy of Amanda Canfield.

“They were going to come visit him in the hospital because they’re like family. After the accident when he was able to walk, he came back into the dojo for group class, and Sensei Bryce would always take him aside and work specially with him. Helping him with his physical therapy and slowly getting him able to do karate again,” said Canfield. “I offered to pay, but they wouldn’t allow it, they said it’s what family does.”

Again and again, Luke has shown to his friends and family that he is a special boy with big dreams and a bigger heart.

“I’m so proud of his fighting spirit,” said Luke’s mother. “He’s got that sweet spirit and he is so giving, always giving his sister extra turns whenever they play.”

On another occasion, she remembered when Luke had suffered a bout of food poisoning on the same day he was set to test for gaining his blue belt in karate.  Even though he had been throwing up that morning, he insisted on going into the martial arts studio and fighting through a three-hour test.

“We’re so proud of him, with how far he’s come. He’s such a fighter,” said Canfield.

The Canfield family.

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