Fund Established to Support Family of West Nile Victim

The physical transformation of Daniel Williams was swift and startling. In a matter of days, Daniel went from being a healthy, energetic 22-year-old to fighting for his life in a ice-packed hospital bed, burning up, frail and relying on a ventilator to fill his lungs with air.

For eight excruciatingly long days, his doctors searched for the cause of his life-threatening condition as his parents feared he would never come back. The days and nights of high fevers and massive doses of antibiotics were beginning to take their toll.

Daniel was dying, and no one knew why. Finally, a positive test. Two days later, the confirmation. Daniel was suffering from the West Nile Virus. Most likely source of infection: a mosquito bite.

It was the kind of bite that people who work outdoors gets dozens of times a day -- especially in late summer. But this mosquito was carrying a virus that caused Daniel to develop West Nile meningoencephalitis, which causes inflammation of the brain and the membrane surrounding it. It is the most serious version of the disease and can essentially shut a person's body down.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, Daniel's reaction to the virus is extremely rare -- with only 1 in 150 developing a serious illness related to West Nile. The reaction to the virus, which can infect humans, birds, mosquitoes, horses and some other mammals, is most often not even noticed. Eighty percent of those bitten by an infected mosquito show no adverse effects, and only 20 percent develop even flu-like symptoms. 

When Daniel woke up on Saturday, September 10, 2011, he was experiencing those flu-like symptoms, and he didn’t think much of it. But by Monday, his temperature had spiked and three days later he was admitted to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital with a 103.3 temperature, loss of muscle control and a decreased awareness of what was happening. Specialists assembled in the intensive care unit from a variety of disciplines, and they began treating his symptoms while searching for answers.

Confused, Daniel was most worried about keeping his job. He had recently been hired at Barineau Heating and Air Conditioning, and was nearing the end of the new-employee probation period and did not want to miss any more work.

He had no idea that his job was not the most important thing he was fighting for.

He was not fighting this battle alone, however. By his side from the beginning have been his parents, Dannie and Mimi Williams, and his fiancée, Sara Flores.

"Daniel is a fighter, and there is no way he won’t get better, " Mimi said as she fights backs tears. "He is still not communicating a lot, and he is terrified. And although he has worked hard and come a long way, the doctors say he struggles to breathe like a fish out of water."

The recovery has been slower than expected, according to Dannie. "We don’t know the damage this may have caused," he said. "He is still having trouble getting his breathing under control and has to remain on a ventilator."

As for fiancée Sara, she was given an option to step away if this change in her relationship with Daniel became too tough for her. Mimi said she gave Sara an out. "I said, 'You are not married into this family yet. You did not sign up for this. You can back out.' Sarah said it was too late for that. She loves him, and nothing has changed that.'"

While their focus has been strictly on the care of their son, the financial realities of their situation have quickly become too significant to ignore.

The Williams' are retired; she’s a former school teacher, and he’s a state worker. They were financially stable, but far from wealthy, focused on gardening and being together. "We don’t have a lot of savings," Mimi said. "We tell people retirement has been like winning the lottery without the money."

That carefree lifestyle is gone now, as they face paying the 20 percent deductible on all Daniel's expenses. The first bill from the hospital was $326,000, and that is just the beginning.

And because of the round-the-clock care Daniel requires, re-entering the workforce is not a viable option for either one of them. "We can't go back to work, because we need to be there for Daniel and for each other," Mimi said.

They face an uncertain future, and how they are going to pay for it all is the least of their worries, but it is a worry nonetheless.

That is why the team at Barineau Heating and Air Conditioning, wanted to do something to help. They set up a fund in Daniel's name to help the family with their mounting medical bills. People can donate any amount to the fund, which is controlled completely by the Williams family.

"We wanted to help, first of all because he is part of the Barineau 'family,' but also because he has such a good attitude and great perspective on life in general," Patrick Barineau Sales Manager at Barineau said "He inspires some of our more experienced guys to work harder and have more drive. He has a passion for his work, but also everything he does, and that shows in his workmanship. Plus, they are a great family and could really use some help."

Mimi Williams said even in these early stages of recovery, they could not have made it without their family, friends, prayer and the support of the Barineau family. "We have been overwhelmed by the offers for help," she said. "We love the people in our community."

Her advice for families, whether they are facing potential tragedy or not?

"Tell the people you love that you love them every day," she said. "Every time you see them, tell them. You just never know. Make sure you say those words. "

It is obviously everyone's hope that Daniel will get through this one day, return to work, marry his sweetheart and have a good life. But even if he could go home tomorrow, his family is facing an overwhelming mountain of medical bills. The prospect of long-term care is even more daunting. You can help ease that burden by clicking HERE and contributing whatever you can to the Daniel Williams Recovery Fund. It will mean more than you can possibly imagine.

Join us at the Appalachee Parkway Chick-fil-A on December 13 from 4-8 pm for a fundraiser supporting Daniel Williams. Tell the cashier that you are there for Daniel Williams and 15% of the proceeds will go to his fund.