we took turns driving tonight the Smith
family of Mount Vernon was traveling by
RV to Colorado it was for about four
o'clock in the morning when we were hit
by a semi and Will and his sister Abby
were both sleeping in the back in the
bed in the back of the RV and so they
were both ejected there are flames
coming over the windshield and I turned
around and I went through the opening
into the back of the RV and fell out
onto the road I ran down the road to
stop the oncoming vehicles and then look
for the children in the debris I just
had this impending doom that was gonna
find bodies instead of you know my truck
I've been well alive Abby's injuries
were minor but wills were not and I
found will and made sure he's kept him
still made sure his airway was okay
simple stuff that I could do and put my
hand on his heart and he was still alive
will was flown to the closest hospital
in Kearney Nebraska
he suffered a traumatic brain injury and
was in the ICU for five weeks he ended
up having craniotomy on both sides of us
had to remove both both sides of the
skull see a lot of damage on once he was
stable will was flown closer to home to
Nationwide Children's Hospital now in
the United States that childrens is one
of the best hospitals for children to go
to especially if there are real
complications and serious things and
that was the message that we go it's
very reassuring
well spent nearly four months at
Nationwide Children's when he arrived he
wasn't able to do much but on our rehab
floor we'll learned again how to eat
talk and walk with assistance to
remember being in Children's we're not
just a number on a piece of paper we're
an actual family and going through a lot
and the people who work at Children's
remember that
we'll develop strong relationships with
our staff including nurse Linda gonna
will was Batman she was Robin she was
one of his favorite nurses will is a
character he is the kind of person that
you never know what is going to come out
of his mouth but he's just a big
sweetheart
I mean he'll go from giving you a hard
time and and making jokes with you to
telling you you know I love you and
blowing you kisses shortly before
Christmas we'll graduated rehab it was
discharged from Nationwide Children's
Christmas that year was just the best
Christmas we've had the whole family
together
he came such a long way from coming to
us and really just laying in a bed and
not doing a whole lot - taking steps in
a walker the care he received was it was
amazing yeah
inspire by the care and compassion her
brother received Emily ran last year's
Nationwide Children's Columbus marathon
raising money and awareness for will and
patients just like him will was waiting
for her near the end we were hanging out
at the what 25 mile mark and we timed
when Emily would come by my dad had him
standing which was awesome because he
obviously can't do it by himself um so
my dad was holding him up and it was
really cool
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Emily her dad and other family members
are running this year too but this year
is different we'll smooth because we'll
has been chosen as a patient champion oh
my what are you gonna do you see me run
by dad's runnin that's run in the half
we'll see about that and our local has
always been willpower we have team
willpower I just thought of him then he
can't walk yet but it's just such an
inspiration I mean he is never never one
time been upset angry asked why this has
happened it's always he's always
positive about everything what can you
say when a kid 12 year old boy and now
14 is battling the way he is but then he
tells his mom I'm okay it's okay mom
it's pretty cool
so that's what power
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you