Support Sheri after the tragic loss of her son on 12-22-24

My name is Dana and I work with Sheri Williamson.

On Sunday Dec 22, 2024 Sheri was at work when she received the phone call every parent of a teenage child fears the most. Her 16 year old son Ben, had been in a car accident and it was bad. "Get here right away" they said.

Filled with panic and fear, Sheri began the long drive from where she was working in Greenville to Flat Rock where she lives. She spent the hour long drive talking to God and praying for her son to be alright. Halfway through the drive, a call came in from her daughter’s phone but the voice on the other end of the line wasn't Emma. It was a police officer who was now at her house. Sheri asked if her son was ok and the officer replied "we will talk about that when you get here". Sheri's heart sank. She asked if she needed to go to scene of the accident or the hospital and the officer replied "you just need to go home". Sheri knew it wasn't good.

Sheri would tell you that Ben loved cars. And dirt bikes. And anything else with wheels. He had been riding or driving something since he could walk which meant there had been lots of bumps and bruises over the years.

Sheri prayed this accident too would just be a few bumps and bruises but in her heart, she knew it was more than that. The news she was confronted with when she finally arrived home was devastating. Her precious Ben was gone. He was ejected from the car during the crash and he died at the scene.

Disbelief. Despair. Heartbroken. Lost. Helpless. Shattered.

Sheri’s motherly instinct was telling her that she just needed to get to Ben. Believing that if she could just hold him in her arms, her mothers love could somehow fix it. But holding him was not possible and her love couldn’t fix this. She wasn’t allowed to see him. She wasn’t allowed to touch him. Benjamin Gregory Williamson left this earth at the tender age of 16 and Sheri was inconsolable.

As hard as the last 2 days have been, Sheri says she knows there are harder ones to come. The day after Christmas is when she will finally be allowed to hold his hand for the first time since his passing. Trust me when I tell you, that is something only the strength of a mother’s love could endure. When I visualize what that moment between them will be, it breaks me. I have 5 children of my own and all I can think is “There but for the grace of God, go I". Parents aren't supposed to bury their children.

Sheri says her baby boy knew Jesus and he is home with him now. She is confident of that and it comforts her.

Ben was playful and funny. He had a smile that would light up a room. He never met a stranger and he was always there to help others when they needed it. Sheri helped Ben get a chainsaw after Hurricane Helene devastated their area and Ben went around helping people cut trees and clean their yards. He was kind like that.

Ben was also a very determined young man. If he wanted something, he went after it. Wanted a dirt bike? Sold his beloved Jordans and a laptop to pay for it. All the while Sheri knew nothing about it. She just came home one day and there it was! He didn't want her to pay for it...he wanted to do it on his own. He was a hard worker.

Ben was also committed to learning how to be the best version of himself and had been working really hard the past couple of years to grow into the amazing young man he had become. Ben had a bright future ahead of him. Sheri was so proud and extraordinarily grateful to be Ben's mom.

I don’t have any idea what it costs to bury a child or how long it takes a single parent to be able to return to work after a devastating event like this, which is why this GoFundMe exists.

If you too are saying to yourself "There but for the grace of God, go I", then PLEASE DONATE.

I am asking for you to donate as generously as you can and to ask your friends, family and colleagues to do the same. This money will go directly to Sheri to support herself and her daughter Emma while they try to piece their lives back together after this unimaginable tragedy.

As I prepare to spend Christmas with my own teenage children, it is not lost on me that there are gifts sitting under Sheri’s Christmas tree that will never be opened because the precious soul they belong to is no longer here. Please give those you love an extra hug this holiday season in Ben’s honor and please keep Sheri and Emma in your prayers. Life is finite and precious and can be forever altered in the blink of an eye. Merry Christmas to you and your family. Thank you for showing your love and support with a generous donation.