An Military veteran who clawed his approach out of PTSD and rebuilt a joyful life by the ocean collapsed and died moments after ending a half-marathon in San Diego — telling his mom solely two days earlier than that he secretly deliberate to marry the lady he beloved.
Scottie Williams, 28, had crossed the end line of the Silver Strand Veterans Day Half Marathon on Sunday when he abruptly crumpled close to a water station.
On-site medics labored frantically to revive him, performing CPR for what a health care provider later advised his mom was “an hour and a half,” however he by no means regained a pulse.
His mom, Katherine Yglesias-Herrera, 59, talking by tears from her dwelling in Ridgecrest, Calif., advised The Put up she nonetheless can’t comprehend how her wholesome, athletic son, who accomplished a number of half-marathons earlier than Sunday’s race, may die right away.
“Twenty-eight years outdated…is mindless,” Yglesias-Herrera stated by telephone on Friday.
Yglesias-Herrera stated she was advised her son appeared completely advantageous when she spoke to him by FaceTime two days earlier than he crossed the end line. His girlfriend, Bree Rivera, had been ready for him on the race.
“She stated that he handed the end line, and he or she watched him stroll over by the water station, and someone watched him simply … collapse … virtually instantly after the race,” Yglesias-Herrera recalled.
She advised The Put up that an post-mortem has been accomplished, however the household gained’t know the outcomes for months. She stated she has no solutions — solely questions.
“I’ve ran each state of affairs by my head,” Yglesias-Herrera stated.
“Why? … Such a great asset to this world. Why?”
She described their last FaceTime name two days earlier than his loss of life, saying, “He walked me round, confirmed me his new residence, his new storage.”
Yglesias-Herrera stated he even stepped exterior and “confirmed me all his vegetation and confirmed me his bed room and his rest room and his gymnasium.”
Williams had been engaged on a memorial for his father, who died in August after succumbing to cirrhosis of the liver.
“His dad handed away in August, and he was constructing his dad’s urn in his storage,” she stated. As she recalled their final dialog, she broke down in tears.
“God simply should have wanted him greater than I did,” she stated, overcome with emotion.
On Thursday, Williams’ physique was escorted dwelling to Ridgecrest by police and native veterans, with residents lining the streets waving American flags.
“This city … has been nothing however superb for him,” his mom stated.
She stated the police, veterans and locals lined the streets with flags when his physique was introduced dwelling.
The household is now elevating cash for Williams’ funeral on GoFundMe. As of Friday night time, $20,448 had been raised towards a $26,000 objective.
Williams enlisted within the Military at 17, instantly after graduating from Burroughs Excessive Faculty in 2015.
He served in Korea and Syria as a transport driver, ferrying tools and troops in huge navy autos.
He had dreamed of becoming a member of the navy since childhood.
“He all the time talked about becoming a member of the navy since he was, like, in third grade,” Yglesias-Herrera stated.
“My dad was within the Military. I used to be within the air drive,” she stated. “He beloved weapons and knives … He beloved tenting, taking part in exterior, taking part in in filth, taking part in with spiders, taking part in with lizards, taking part in with snakes.”
However when he returned from Syria, she stated she observed one thing completely different about her son.
When requested if he suffered from PTSD, Yglesias-Herrera replied, “Sure, he did.”
“He by no means … talked to me about it,” she stated. “I’d discover him crying generally, and I’d sit with him and hug him and inform him, like, ‘Son, what’s happening?’ And he would inform me, ‘I don’t know, Mother, I don’t know.’”
She recalled one of many first moments she realized her son was struggling after returning dwelling from Syria.
“I bear in mind when he first got here dwelling and he went to Walmart and he got here dwelling and he was tremendous like, like respiratory heavy, taking deep breaths,” she stated.
“And I stated, ‘Son, what’s happening?’ And he simply stated that he felt like all people was gazing him, like struggling, I don’t know.”
“He wasn’t himself.”
The Division of Veterans Affairs finally rated him 80% disabled for PTSD. He resisted remedy at first, Yglesias-Herrera stated, however later agreed to speak to somebody — although he refused medicine.
“He just about knew what he wanted to do to heal himself,” she stated. “Truly did a fairly nice job doing this.”
After the Military, Williams constructed a camper on the again of his truck and lived in it whereas working at a ski resort in Mammoth Lakes, Calif.
He showered on the gymnasium, labored the ski elevate and spent his days outdoor.
Then he moved to San Diego — and every little thing modified.
“San Diego…was one of the best factor that he ever did as a result of he simply, he healed himself slowly,” his mom stated.
“He lived life to his fullest, and he would run these marathons.”
It was in San Diego that he met his girlfriend, Rivera. Yglesias-Herrera advised The Put up that her son was speaking a few future together with her.
“Him and his girlfriend had simply gotten a much bigger residence and moved in collectively. And he advised me, she’s struggling a bit of bit [to make ends meet] or no matter. He’s like, ‘, I simply don’t need her to wrestle. I’ll simply care for her’.”
“And I stated, ‘What are you going to do?’ He stated, ‘I don’t know. I’m simply going to secret marry her. I feel I’m simply going to choose up and secret marry her.’”
“I stated, ‘Do it.’”
“Proper now in his life, he was the happiest,” Yglesias-Herrera stated. “He had his new little residence by the seaside… little residence, excellent little girlfriend, smiling, blissful.”
“He had his little residence by the seaside. His girlfriend made him so blissful.”
Williams’ funeral is scheduled for subsequent weekend in Ridgecrest.
Requested what she desires the world to find out about her late son, Yglesias-Herrera paused — after which spoke by tears.
“He was superb,” she stated.
“Top-of-the-line individuals I do know. My women all the time stated I beloved him a lot — I really like all my youngsters the identical.”
“However he was … he was one thing extra …”
