Billy was transferred to Fern Crest Manor Living Center on March 7, 2024. The staff there have been tremendous. Yesterday Dave and I were standing in the outside of Billy's room while the aides were changing his bed linens. A nurse walking down the hall and asked if were are Billy's parents. She was so happy to meet us. She had been out on sick leave, but she still knew about Billy's up-coming surgery (more details in next post). She shook our hands and gave us her blessings . Even in a coma he is still affecting people.

Dave was working in Jacksonville, FL that week. Once we got grounded about the details of the hit-and-run accident, there was nothing to do but wait. Even though Dave jumped into his rental car, I had 4 hours to wait. Wait for Dave to pick me up, wait for medical updates, wait to fall apart. I didn’t.

Dave drove 4 straight hours from Jacksonville to Panama City, then straight on to NOLA.We met with some of the guys at the elevators on the 4th Floor of University Medical Center / New Orleans. They escorted us to Billy’s room.

There we learned about the hit & run accident and the broken leg and ribs, scapular injury, broken spine at C2, internal injuries and head injury that Traumatic Brain Injury l (TBI) that left him in a coma. It was then that we first heard the term “baby steps" that would be used at the hospital to describe the incredibly slow healing process.

He didn’t even want to go. Well, of course he wanted to go. He’d be sharing in a special event…an extended weekend with high school friends to celebrate a bachelor party.

Billy loved New Orleans. The eclectic and electric music. The food and drink. The entire party atmosphere. What’s not to love? But he had traveling a lot with Adrenaline and had admitted to me after the first few weeks of dance competition that he was just not as young as he used to be. He was excited about the event, not the date. “Oh f*ck! That’s gonna be Mardi Gras weekend!”

Billly had called Dave and me during the week to let us know that once he arrived in NOLA and met up with all of the guys he was having a great time. “Love you guys! Bye!”

Then I got the call from one of the high school friends. It was Dan. I didn’t recognize his grown-up voice as 2:20 in the morning. “Hello Mrs. Merrill. This is Dan C. I went to Franklin with Billy and I’m in New Orleans with him. There has been an accident.”

“What happened?”

“He’s alive.”