Indomitable Will Conley
Indomitable Will Conley
Will Conley is determined that nothing is going to stop him.
Despite severe burns over 60 percent of his body and losing his left hand and all the fingers on his right, he still shows up at wrestling -- both for the high school team and for the local youth league, eager to cheer on his teammates and younger brothers, as well as step in as a mentor.
“If I can still be a part of the team and just be with them, then I’ll do whatever it takes to just be with the team whenever I can,” he said, sitting in the wrestling room at the high school on Nov. 6.
His mother, Deborah Ferguson, added that he plans to travel with the high school team to all the tournaments and duels, even though he can’t currently wrestle. He’s hoping to get back on the mat for his junior or senior year.
It’s hard to believe that it was only about eight months ago that Will was in the ICU. He was injured during the wildfires that swept through Lincoln County on March 14, along with his father, Allen. Unfortunately, Allen did not make it. Will and his mother said the family is still dealing with their grief, but the tragedy has brought them closer together. It’s spending time together that has helped with healing.
Deborah said Will’s main doctor - Dr. Lentz - told her at that time that Will would likely be in the hospital around the year.
“And he’s like, ‘I don’t like so,’” she said with a chuckle. “It was like I overheard that conversation or something,” Will added. He was only in the hospital for about four months total -- three in the burn unit and one in rehab. He’s been home full-time since mid-summer and said he’s been doing everything on his own.
“I’m able to put my clothes on and take them off. And mostly of my shoes, I’m able to slip them on and take them off as well,” he said. He’s even started driving with his permit and working toward getting his license.
However, the teen said eating has been tricky, especially trying to figure out how to scoop things up, and he’s working on building up strength to grip things as well as writing with his universal cuff. And of course, to get back into wrestling and other hobbies, such as Civil War re-enactments.
“He’s doing really good… He’s doing modified push-ups, squats, balancing.
He’s been riding his bike seven to eight miles a week,” his mom said. “He’s been pulling wrestling moves on me.”
She added that everyone is in awe of him, especially his doctor, who called Will’s burns the worst he’s seen in 37 years Will’s been cast for a prosthetic for his left arm, and they’re hoping it’ll be in by the end of December; however, there’s a bit of a wait, as insurance will deny it. The arm will cost about $40,000, with the hand running at around $80,000. The family is looking to get funding from Inner Will -- a foundation that helps children under 18 who have limb loss. The prosthetic will be able to recognize when Will flexes to open and close the hand and will move like a normal wrist.
His mother jokingly calls him the Multi-million Dollar Boy, though the duo had more than a few ideas about better nicknames for when Will can wrestle again, such as Will-da-beast or Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way. Warrior Will. Regardless, Will is determined to focus on getting back to the things he loves -- coaching his brothers and other young wrestlers, and Civil War re-enactments. Both are activities that Will shared with his late father.
He said he likes coaching because it was what his dad enjoyed. Also, it’s a way to stay involved.
“It really felt like I was back on the mat, just watching them wrestle. It felt like I was wrestling,” he said. “I’m trying to come down here every practice we have to kind of look over and mentor the younger ones that are newer to the program. So far, it’s been going great. I’m just trying to throw out a little motivation and stuff since I can’t get on the mat now.”
Will said he’s also looking forward to getting his prosthetics so he can fully get back into reenactments. He’s been to two since he got out of the hospital and ordered new gear. But he hopes to get back into sewing and properly use all the props. For his right hand, Will is being built something called a myoelectric hand that will allow him to move every digit individually. It will also let him get back to playing the guitar, write and everything.
“I really just want to get more serious about it (reenactments) because me and my dad, we enjoyed it and we did it together. So that’s something really special to us and that will live on, hopefully, for forever,” he said.
Throughout it all, Will keeps a positive outlook and a dogged determination that nothing will stop him. He said you have to enjoy every day no matter what happens and that what you have is what you have to accept and live with.
“God gives his strongest battles to his strongest soldiers. So that’s what’s keeping me going because I know no one will want to see me go downhill from here,” he said.