Resilient Connor Williamson, 18, paralyzed from the neck down in a diving accident in June, knows now more than ever that there's more to a person than his or her physical body.
As evidenced by the outpouring of support his family has received, the red-headed Connor knows he's made an impact in the community though his contributions as a young person.
"I was always big and strong, that was something I was proud of," Connor said. "God humbled me in that area. You can still have a good conversation, laugh and talk, without standing around talking."
Connor waded into Hume Lake, east of Fresno, June 16 during his last Christian teen summer camp. He took a short, shallow dive into the water. Afterward, his head bobbed on the surface, his body slacked. Conscious, he stared into the lake's bottom, realizing his body was numb. He was "freaking out," and started praying, "Please, God, let them see me."
The last memory he has before blacking out is his friend Cody Singley's arm reaching across his body.
Reaching the shore, Connor remembers nurses and friends over him.
"I can't really control it, it's up to God," he said.
Doctors determined Connor had severely dislocated his shoulder and the whiplash had dislocated his vertebrae at the neck, causing the paralysis, his mother Cherie Williamson said.
"Your real friends step up when stuff like this happens," Connor said.
Connor's real friends are innumerable. The Williamsons, his parents Cherie and Eric, and his 20-year-old sister Joelle have always been close. They are now buoyed with the immediate response of friends and neighbors to their plight. A friend drove them to Fresno's Community Regional Medical Center the day of the accident; neighbors watched their pets while they were gone. The initial outpouring of support ballooned to an army hundreds strong and spanning the globe during the past four months as Connor was treated.
The biggest offering to the Williamsons is a 330-square-foot new bedroom for Connor being added to their home. Dozens of community members are helping in this effort, led by Morgan Hill general contractors Keith Spahn, Kevin Turner and Dave Jackson. The room will be outfitted with an electric generator and other features necessary for Connor's new life.
Connor's routine involves a two-hour morning ritual and a three-hour bedtime ritual. Simple tasks can take an hour; even coughing and sneezing are laborious for him.
Before, the 6-foot-3, 220-pound teen's bulky stature came in handy during four-wheeling and hunting excursions. And his "Connor hugs" - picking people up, squeezing them hard - are famous, Cherie Williamson said.
Four months after the accident, Connor returned home. Connor is feeling some sensations in his upper torso around his shoulders, but has regained no motion. His parents, Joelle and he say they have every confidence that he will one day walk again.
Throughout the traumatic event, Connor was the calmest of them all, Cherie Williamson said.
"He's much more secure than we are," Cherie Williamson said. "We'll all be freaking out, about his machines or something, and just says, 'It's okay, I'm all right ... ' "
Uncle Brad Williamson manages the Web site www.connorwatch.org, which has received worldwide attention. It attracts 5,000 visitors each day totaling almost 100,000 in October alone. There are 644 registered members from every continent but Antarctica. The Web site alone has raised $20,000 for the family. Family friends raised another $5,000 selling red silicon bracelets featuring the Web site's URL, the mariner's phrase "hold fast," and features the pi symbol, "to remind you that God is constant and forever," according to the Web site.
As a drummer for the worship band at West Hills Christian Church in Morgan Hill, Connor "touched a lot of people's lives," his mother said.
"It's a testament to his character," she said. "People have flocked to Connor."
For years, Cherie said her son flew to Mexico to help build homes for needy families there.
"Thank you doesn't even cover it," Connor said. "Every gift is a big gift to me. It's cool to see."
Connor said when he regains the use of his body the first things he'll do is play guitar and ride his motorcycle. But not if his parents or friends have a say: they want hugs first.
Natalie Everett
Natalie Everett Natalie Everett is the education and city reporter for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106, ext. 201, or neverett@morganhilltimes.com.
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