FRANKLIN, Tenn. - The dreaded phone call a Franklin couple will never forget. Last summer their son, while away at camp, suffered a brain hemorrhage. For most people, they can have permanent brain damage or even die from it, but not this kid. He survived with an alert medical staff, lots of praying and sheer "Will power". Will Nesmith is a fan of Duck Dynasty and a fan of the Florida State Seminoles, with a helmet in his room signed by a coaching legend.

"Bobby Bowden," says Will.

He's really no different than any 13 year old kid, except for one thing.

"My right side is like gone," says Will. "I can't feel it."

Will collapsed during a christian boys camp last summer in Asheville, North Carolina.

"I remember the camp nurse saying it's okay Will you're okay," says Will.

He lost all feeling on his right side and couldn't respond. Will suffered a brain hemorrhage.

"The first reaction is can I even stand up?" says mother Stephanie.

His parents were 300 miles away when they got the call in Franklin, Tennessee.

"Immediately I was trying to get answers," says father Steve.

When the Nesmith's got to the hospital in North Carolina, they saw their son with half of his skull missing.

"His head completely shaved with a scar going from his ear all the way to his head to his forehead and we saw a very different looking Will," says Steve.

A blood vessel in Will's brain had ruptured from a genetic condition called HHT. Stephanie has it too.

"I have malformations in my lungs, they're not as prone to rupture and they can be treated," says Stephanie.

Will was in a coma for 3 weeks. He was flown to Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, where doctors put in a prosthetic skull. Life had totally changed for Will and his family. Every day, Will goes through rehab at Baptist to keep the muscles moving. You can see on Will's face it's not always easy, but it's paying off.

"So many people have a brain injury and they're permanently in a place where they have disabilities, Will gets stronger every single week," says Steve.

Besides PT, Will has educational and speech therapy at home. He's learning how to walk and talk all over again. It's been a challenging few months, but having his friends there from the beginning has meant the world to him, whether it was at the hospital, at school or at CPA.

"They are constantly checking on me, coming to the room," says Will.

Will won't play football or run track like he used to before the hemorrhage, but does it really matter?

"Every day since the day we found out Will made it through surgery is a great day," says Steve.

It's possible Will could get another brain hemorrhage, so he gets regular checkups. Here's a scary thought: 9 out of 10 people with this genetic condition known as HHT don't even know they have it. To learn more, go to Fox17.com, click FOX LINKS and look for HHT. Will's family is hosting the Will Power 5k to raise money and awareness about HHT. It's Saturday, April 6 in downtown Franklin. For more info., you'll find it under FOX LINKS.
Teen Battles Back After Major Health Scare - Nick Paranjape

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