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"And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."
~Psalm 50:15 |
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Upcoming Event
To purchase tickets to the event, (or donate):
Send money for # of tickets ($175 each) and/or donation in your name to either:
Venmo: @Friendsofwillpenn / PayPal: @Friendsofwillpenn / Zelle: [email protected]
(If they ask for account owner: Friends of Will Penn)
Send money for # of tickets ($175 each) and/or donation in your name to either:
Venmo: @Friendsofwillpenn / PayPal: @Friendsofwillpenn / Zelle: [email protected]
(If they ask for account owner: Friends of Will Penn)
Friends of Will Penn’s Mission
To support cutting edge technology, innovation and community that supports children with brain injuries to maximize their physical, cognitive, & social recoveries. FOWP seeks to encourage & promote these blessings to families undergoing the stress of a life-changing brain injury.
Will's Story
Will experienced a massive brain hemorrhage and stroke on Wednesday July 6th, 2011 due to the rupture of a malformed nest of veins in his brain known as an "AVM" –an Arteriovenous Malformation. After quickly being brought to the Children's Hospital in Atlanta. He had immediate craniotomy surgery to remove part of his skull to relieve the pressure on his brain from the swelling. The doctors tucked the part of his skull that they removed under one of his ribs until they replaced it 6 ½ weeks later with crainoplasty surgery. After Will's initial surgery, he was put into a medically induced coma for almost 2 weeks to give Will the best chance to survive and heal. Will woke up blind and paralyzed and has been rehabilitating ever since. Alert and with his sight returning, Will transferred out of the ICU and entered the largest children's in-house comprehensive rehabilitation unit at Scottish Rite hospital (just 2-miles from his house) to stabilize his brain injury, and to begin his intensive evaluation & rehabilitation process beginning with re-learning all activities of daily living such as sitting up, standing, swallowing and getting dressed. Who knew these things could be so excruciating and difficult? After 6 ½ weeks in the hospital, he entered a full-time outpatient rehabilitation program where he graduated from a wheel chair to a cane to ambulating on his own. In September 2011, Will had one last non-invasive "Gamma Knife" surgery to destroy the AVM which was otherwise in an inoperable part of his brain. Will had brain scans in March of 2013 and received the amazing news that his AVM was neutralized and is no longer at risk to bleed. Will returned to school in November of 2011 and graduated from high school in 2021 while attending multiple therapies a week over those 10 years to regain physical left side impairment and cognitive functions affected due to his hemorrhage. Will's recovery is noted as "remarkable" & inconsistent with the severity of his bleed. Will's fire, wit and courage was complemented by technology to achieve his miraculous outcome. He is currently pursuing his dreams to work in the medical industry at Georgia College. Will, his family, & friends are grateful for the love, support and prayers for him and other families affected by life-altering brain injuries.
"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you…plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope..." ~Jeremiah 29:11
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"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." ~Philippians 4:13
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Friends of Will Penn ["FOWP"] was originally established to help Will & his family defray the expense of intensive therapies and medical care which included technology & alternative therapies attributed to Will maximizing his recovery to achieve daily independence. Will wants other kids (& adults!) to have the same opportunity that he had.
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