February 3, 2019—Tim Allen and his 7-year-old, Will, were in a car accident on their way home from batting practice. The details of the accident—which left Will paralyzed from the chest down—will not be the focus of this story. Rather, we want to take the opportunity to share with you the spirit of the Allen family and their mission with The WillPower Community Foundation. Though we will offer up inspiring insights into who this little superhero, Will Allen, is today, too.
Financial, emotional, and community support for families of children who have sustained a traumatic spinal cord injury is the core mission of The WillPower Community Foundation. The foundation has been able to grant funds to various nonprofits and businesses that serve those affected by spinal cord injuries. So far, they’ve blessed three families with financial assistance, including most recently a 4-year-old boy named Tony from Phoenix who suffered paralysis from an auto accident.
Will himself receives no financial benefit from the organization, but his spirit, grit, and fire to pursue and enjoy life to its fullest are the inspiration, heart, and soul of The Willpower Community Foundation.
Will is now competing in wheelchair basketball—competitively against 16- to 18-year-olds. He’s traveled to Colorado to compete in wheelchair track, where he won two gold medals and three silvers.
He now has goals to play for The University of Alabama’s wheelchair basketball program and one day for the USA National Team. He’s learned adaptive water and snow skiing. He’s gone deep sea fishing and took out a wild hog in San Saba on his first hunt.
The Allen family is blessed with Will’s heartbeat, the healing of his brain from traumatic brain injury, and his arms that allow him to be independent and play sports. The support from family, friends, and the Dripping Springs Community has been unrelenting, and they are extremely grateful.
“We will spend the rest of our lives looking to help other children like Will who have suffered traumatic spinal cord injuries and will assist those families both financially and emotionally,” - Tim Allen.
Learn more @ thewillpowercommunity.org