I never met Will McKamey, but the news of his death has struck me personally. Those of you who read my March 7 post about my accident when I was 16 should understand why. Twenty-five years ago, that could’ve easily been my family grieving the loss of a son. To the McKamey family, you have my deepest sympathy and condolences for your loss. I know in this moment those words won’t offer much comfort, but hopefully the outpouring of love for your son across social media will in time help you heal.

I’ve been working on an article for the last couple of months about my experiences with severe brain trauma and post concussion syndrome in an effort to raise awareness. In memory of Will McKamey, I will increase my efforts to land this article with a major outlet so that more people will understand the seriousness of brain trauma. RIP Cadet McKamey. The world has lost a promising young man