Fundraiser to help paralyzed Larkin grad

Two years later, details of the hours leading up to his paralysis are still crystal clear for Dean Williams.

The 2006 Larkin High School graduate was in Melbourne, Fla., working at a local restaurant while preparing to enter a police academy.

"I've always been the one to try and make sure everyone's fine," Williams, now 22, said. "Growing up, my cousin, who was a West Chicago police officer, lived with us for awhile. He just made me want to be a police officer, to help people out."

Feb. 10, 2008, was a beautiful night, Williams said, recalling the chain of events.

After getting off work, he and best friend Mike Stevens rode their bikes and stopped at a friend's house, where a party was going on. Williams wasn't in a drinking mood that night.

As the party went on, he watched things start to get out of hand.

"A lot of people were playing beer pong, and stuff started to go wild," he said.

He broke up two fights. He asked several teens to leave the party, after one was spotted trying to steal a bottle of alcohol from the house.

At first, things seemed to calm down.

Then a car pulled up, and two guys and a girl - the ones he had earlier told to leave the party - got out. He heard one of the men cock a gun and he tried to grab it from him, wrestling him to the ground.

"The rest I don't remember," he said. "I know shots went off, and I wound up in the hospital."

Doctors later told him that bullets had shattered Williams' T-12 vertebrae, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

Jonathan Dominguez, now 20, and Corey McGuire, 19, have been charged with attempted first degree premeditated murder, and are expected to stand trial, a spokeswoman with Florida's Brevard County State's Attorney's office said Friday.

Autumn Gray, 20, was sentenced in August 2008 to five years probation.

Sitting in a hospital bed, unable to move, Williams was in a haze for the next several weeks.

His mother, Jennifer Kramka, flew to Florida to be with her son over the next several months, before taking him back home to Elgin.

These days, Williams, a former Larkin Royals pitcher and outfielder, spends most of his time playing video games and waiting on pals to stop by and visit.

"Honestly, I've adapted very well," he said. "But the hardest thing is for sure the pain in my lower back, It's just very uncomfortable at times and takes lying down a certain way to make it tolerable."

The injury also has taken an emotional toll. Waiting for the trial to begin, he said, is "psychologically straining."

So is grappling with the loss of his legs at such an early age.

"Growing up wanting to be a police officer I knew something could happen to me one day. But you never think you're going to be paralyzed."

While some of Williams' needs are covered by Medicaid; the experimental surgeries and therapies that could help him to walk again are not.

A local educator is trying to help.

Cathy Ilani, founder of Elgin's Einstein Academy, first heard about Williams' story when she noticed her daughter's boyfriend wearing a lime green wristband.

"It's for Dean Williams," Ilani said he told her.

"That's when I heard his story," Ilani said. "I was very touched. It made me want to cry."

Ilani has spent the past several months getting to know Williams, as well as researching various medical procedures that could help him.

She also set up a bank account to place donations and organized a fundraiser she calls "Dean's Dream."

From 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday at Einstein, 747 Davis Road, Elgin, five local bands are playing.

All proceeds will benefit Williams.

"I'm trying to raise as much money as possible for this boy.

Here he is, in our own backyard. Let's help someone walk," she said.

Williams is planning to attend Saturday's fundraiser.

"I'm really excited about this," he said. "I get to see a lot of people I haven't seen in awhile. What Cathy's doing is amazing."

Dean's Dreamc/o Chase Bank IL1-27751600 Larkin Ave.Elgin, IL 60123Account #709242838