Ah, summer. A time to relax, soak up some sun and forget about school. Unless you’re Tylan Williams (10)— in which case you survive a life-threatening car wreck, spend 18 days in the hospital and undergo multiple cranial surgeries. 

Since his near-fatal accident last summer on the return trip from a Boy Scouts summer camp, Williams has been taking recovery one step at a time. The most recent milestone on his path to rehabilitation was officially returning to White Station after receiving a home-bound education in Semester 1.  

“I would say the first day [back at school] was basically like my first day, but everybody else was moving at a faster pace because they know all their classes,” Williams said.  

While his life has, in essence, returned to normal, Williams has had to make certain sacrifices, such as his involvement in football, due to the semi-permanent nature of his injuries. 

“That was a tough one,” Williams said. “I still have good relationships with the players and coaches, but that was something hard for me to get over.”

Coming out of his time in the hospital, Williams hopes to combine his long held interest in science and his recent exposure to the medical community to pursue a future in biomedical engineering.  

“I would say it makes me want to go deeper into subjects that I like more because I want to do something that I like while I’m here,” Williams said. 

According to Williams, there has ultimately been a silver lining to the aftermath of his accident. 

“I would say it pretty much changed my whole outlook on life because at the point when I was hospitalized… People didn’t know if I would come out of it the same,” Williams said. “I didn’t really have any fears, and I think that’s why I’ve had such a positive comeback.”