Young man speaks out after horrific car accident

MIAMI (WSVN) -- A South Florida young man who suffered a horrific crash five-years-ago is speaking out for the first time and hopes his will to survive will inspire others.

Twenty-two-year-old Gregory Willis has beaten the odds and continues every day after he suffered a severe brain injury following a terrible accident. "Everyday is another healing process," said Willis.

In September of 2005, Willis was involved in a car accident that left him in a comatose state for more than a month. "I spent about six months at Jackson Ryder Trauma and then a couple of years after that at outpatient therapy. I had a traumatic brain injury. A factored pelvis plus my organs were all bleeding and my lungs collapsed," said Willis.

Willis said it has taken him years to get where he is today, but is something he's proud of. "I'm grateful and it shows me how hard I worked from where I was then to where I am now," he said.

Willis's mother said she always believed in him and knew he would fight the odds. "It's further than a lot of people thought, but I always believed he would get better," she said.

Willis hopes his story can help motivate others like Deerfield Beach Middle school student, 15-year-old Josie Lou Ratley, who was brutally attacked back in March. "The trials she's going to go through, it will make her to fight harder. It should make her work harder to get better," said Willis.

Ratley's long-term prognosis from her injuries remains unknown, but has years of extensive rehab ahead of her, something Willis knows will be a tough but not impossible. "I got a second chance and so has she. She got two chances, to be here on this earth, but she has to fight to get better," said Willis.

A current student at Miami-Dade College, Willis is studying physical therapy, and when he's not studying, he spends his time volunteering at the rehab center of Baptist Hospital.

You can see Willis's success on the website his mom and stepfather created at: http://hopkins.dnsalias.com

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