2008 Woodie Awards
Fundraiser to benefit assault victim
By: Alex Piazza
Issue date: 2/11/08 Section: News
The bills keep piling up for James Ronald Williams.
As the 23-year-old Mount Pleasant man recovers from injuries sustained when he was beaten on New Year's Day outside O'Kelly's Sports Bar & Grill, Williams is struggling to find ways to pay off his $200,000 medical tab.
Williams has no health insurance, said his father, Jim Williams.
His father said James has been undergoing a physical therapy regimen at Central Michigan University's Health Professions Building.
"We've had some medical tests that show he'll need extensive physical therapy," his father said. "He's doing it at CMU once a week until we're able to get funding."
CMU is limited in what it can offer his son, the family is seeking out other local rehabilitation centers.
In order to pay for incoming medical bills, his family is organizing a benefit fundraiser on Feb. 23.
The fundraiser, is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart's Parish Hall, 302 S. Kinney Ave., will include both live and silent auctions.
Tia Williams, James' sister, said Detroit Tigers tickets, plasma-screen TVs, refrigerators and hotel packages are some of the items to be raffled off.
Tia Williams said all of the items included in the raffle were donated by local businesses.
"People we don't even know are contacting us," she said. "Some of these people have kids and they kind of feel for our family. I think everybody wants to do what they can do to help him live him a normal life again."
Doctors say it is difficult to gauge how long James' recovery will take, his father said.
"We don't know at this point how long this will be and if he will have to go back to school for secondary training," Jim Williams said. "They said anywhere from a month to a year. He has extensive nerve damage in his arms."
James Williams spent two weeks at Covenant HealthCare following the attack, with 11 of those days being in the intensive care unit.
Meanwhile, the court process continues for the two men who were charged with beating Williams.
Both men were bound over to circuit court earlier this month.
"They filed waivers of arraignment," said Isabella County Prosecutor Larry Burdick.
news@cm-life.com
As the 23-year-old Mount Pleasant man recovers from injuries sustained when he was beaten on New Year's Day outside O'Kelly's Sports Bar & Grill, Williams is struggling to find ways to pay off his $200,000 medical tab.
Williams has no health insurance, said his father, Jim Williams.
His father said James has been undergoing a physical therapy regimen at Central Michigan University's Health Professions Building.
"We've had some medical tests that show he'll need extensive physical therapy," his father said. "He's doing it at CMU once a week until we're able to get funding."
CMU is limited in what it can offer his son, the family is seeking out other local rehabilitation centers.
In order to pay for incoming medical bills, his family is organizing a benefit fundraiser on Feb. 23.
The fundraiser, is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. at Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart's Parish Hall, 302 S. Kinney Ave., will include both live and silent auctions.
Tia Williams, James' sister, said Detroit Tigers tickets, plasma-screen TVs, refrigerators and hotel packages are some of the items to be raffled off.
Tia Williams said all of the items included in the raffle were donated by local businesses.
"People we don't even know are contacting us," she said. "Some of these people have kids and they kind of feel for our family. I think everybody wants to do what they can do to help him live him a normal life again."
Doctors say it is difficult to gauge how long James' recovery will take, his father said.
"We don't know at this point how long this will be and if he will have to go back to school for secondary training," Jim Williams said. "They said anywhere from a month to a year. He has extensive nerve damage in his arms."
James Williams spent two weeks at Covenant HealthCare following the attack, with 11 of those days being in the intensive care unit.
Meanwhile, the court process continues for the two men who were charged with beating Williams.
Both men were bound over to circuit court earlier this month.
"They filed waivers of arraignment," said Isabella County Prosecutor Larry Burdick.
news@cm-life.com
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