MADISON COUNTY, Ala. (WAFF) – Two years after the death of Liberty Middle School student Morgan Williams, his parents are turning grief into action by raising money to place more automated external defibrillators (AEDs) across Madison County.
Saturday would have been Morgan’s 15th birthday.
Michael and Stacey Williams have partnered with the Huntsville Hospital Foundation for a fundraiser aimed at getting lifesaving devices into schools and more public spaces. The family says 10 AEDs have already been added in Madison County through their efforts last year.
Morgan collapsed during gym class on April 23, 2024. His parents said he had an unknown, pre-existing heart condition. Without immediate access to an AED, Morgan died.
“The impact he had on the community and our lives…He was like a little angel that was passing through. I can’t even put into words how much I miss him,” Stacey Williams said.
The fundraising campaign began last year on what would have been Morgan’s 14th birthday, with a goal of raising $14,000. The family says the community helped them surpass that mark, raising nearly $20,000.
“With those funds, we were able to train 300 personnel and purchase 10 AEDs, so we want to keep that going and to do more because now we’re not only looking at schools, we’re looking at parks and recs,” Stacey Williams said.
This year, for Morgan’s 15th birthday, the family’s goal is to raise $15,000 in Morgan’s honor.
“We just want to try to prevent anybody from having to go through what we went through,” Michael Williams said.
The Williams family said they continue to learn just how much Morgan meant to others.
“After he passed, there were kids that we didn’t even know he dealt with that would come by the house or walk up to us and tell us what an impact he was to them,” Michael Williams said.
The fundraiser has brought in nearly $5,000 so far and will be open until April 23rd, the day Morgan passed.
Click here to donate.
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