Youngest daughter of former Gustine football coach released from hospital

With a pink helmet and her hands wrapped around the handle bars, 4-year-old Rachel McWilliams pushed her way down the street on a scooter.

Faster and faster with every push, showing no fear of speed, of her new surroundings or a crash.

Her mother, Vanessa, gave chase, trying desperately to steady the camera for a picture to share with family. The younger McWilliams loves her scooter about as much as her father, Russell McWilliams, loves his football.

“She’s pretty excited to be back on it,” said Russell, the former Gustine High School football coach. “She loves riding it through the sprinklers, too. That’s what she did all day yesterday.”

Life in the McWilliams household has resumed after a tumultuous month. Rachel spent nearly a week in a Sacramento hospital with severe head injuries following a car accident in July in Redding, a horrific scene that parked everything: football, work, unpacking a new home, and yes, that scooter.

On Monday, she zipped through the neighborhood, the helmet protecting tender wounds, while her father held his first official practice as the new football coach at Enterprise High.

“It’s good to be back doing what I do,” Russell said.

The McWilliams family was involved in a three-vehicle accident shortly after their move to Redding.

In April, Russell took a job as the new football coach and social science teacher at Enterprise, leaving his hometown of Gustine for a new adventure in the north state.

On July 6, the McWilliamses’ truck and U-Haul trailer were pushed off the road by a motorist making an unsafe lane change. According to the California Highway Patrol, Shilee Davidson, 26, struck a big rig following a lane change and careened into McWilliams’ vehicle.

His truck was pushed off the road and struck a tree. Rachel was rushed to UC Davis Medical Center with a fractured skull and orbital bone and severe brain trauma. Her injuries did not require surgery, but that didn’t diminish the fear and uneasiness in the hospital room.

“It was horrifying,” Russell said. “They didn’t know how long it would take her to recover. She did something every night, though, something that would make us excited for the next day. It was like she knew we were depressed, so she would do something – talking or eating. It was something new every day.”

Rachel was released from the hospital July 12, the day after her fourth birthday.

While he welcomed the opportunity to bring Rachel home, Russell said he struggled with the ride. The accident has left him with deep-seeded emotional scars. In fact, he said he’s learned a lot about courage from his fearless 4-year-old.

“All the doctors and nurses could see that she was shy and stubborn and that she’d probably do better at home,” Russell said. “Once she was home, she used the walker for maybe two days before she didn’t want it anymore.”

With his family together again under one roof – the McWilliamses have three other children – Russell has turned his attention back to the football field.

Enterprise, which competes in the Northern Section, began practice Monday, a week ahead of the Sac-Joaquin Section.

McWilliams takes over a program that appeared in a CIF State Bowl in 2013. The Hornets open the season at Corning on Aug. 26.

He is thankful for the support from the city of Redding, the Enterprise community and his friends in the Stanislaus District. A GoFundMe page established by Enterprise Principal Ryan Johnson raised $13,360 to help offset medical costs, and his staff oversaw the final stages of the summer season while Russell made trips back and forth to Sacramento.

“I’ve got a great staff that helped put in the basic stuff,” Russell said, “and these kids are soaking everything up. I’ve installed more in a week than I’ve ever done, so I think we’re on schedule.”

So is Rachel. She has follow-up appointments scheduled with a neurologist, physical therapist and ophthalmologist. But if the scooter is any indication, Rachel’s recovery is speeding right along.

“She’s happy,” Russell said. “It’s amazing how she’s recovered in a month.”

This story was originally published August 1, 2016 at 4:31 PM with the headline "Youngest daughter of former Gustine football coach released from hospital."