Local father shares important message with high school seniors preparing to graduate
LONG BEACH, Miss. (WXXV)- A local father is turning one of the worst days of his life into a message of hope.
William Henson is on a mission to save lives. It’s a goal he set out to accomplish after losing his son, William Peyton Henson, nearly 7 years ago.
“William Peyton was a Long Beach Senior Class of 2019. The day before he was set to graduate, he was swimming in a river with some of his friends. One of his friends got in trouble, and in the process of saving that young person’s life, Peyton lost his,” said Henson.
Following the loss of his son, Henson wanted to do something to keep his memory alive, so he created the William Peyton Foundation. It’s a scholarship fund for students interested in completing a CTE program. However, this year the foundation decided to donate to the Will Brady Welding Scholarship Fund, which is in honor of Will Brady, who graduated from Long Beach High School last year.
“He was a quarterback and a punter. I didn’t even know that was possible. He’s also a star baseball player who made the unfortunate choice to take his own life,” said Henson.
Henson felt called to support the Brady family as he remembered what the first year is like after losing a loved one.
“It’s hard, and if we can help another family impact people and live out their legacy and honor their child, then that’s what Peyton wanted to do,” he said.
Supporting an important cause is not the only way Henson hopes to make a difference. Each year he speaks with graduating seniors, sharing the story of his son and about the importance of wearing a life jacket. This time he had another important message surrounding mental health.
“I definitely want young people to have a message that tomorrow’s the best option that call somebody, talk to somebody, everybody goes through stuff. I can stand up there and tell them, this was the worst day of my life. These are things that I’ve been through. I know what it feels like to feel like you have no one to talk to. You’ve already messed up. Everything’s gone wrong. It’ll never be right again, but it will, it’ll get better,” said Henson.
Henson tells the students that asking for help is not a weakness but rather a superpower. While we all face struggles, there are better days ahead, he says.
“I don’t know how many lives that I’ve saved. Talking with young people, I know that Peyton saved a life, and I like to think that I save a life every year. I don’t know how many lives I have to save, for it to be worth it. I don’t know if that number even exists, but I know that I’ll keep going back. I’ll keep talking to kids. I’ll keep trying to save as many as I can, because I want them there tomorrow,” he said.
To learn more about the William Peyton Foundation, click here.
For more information on the Will Brady Welding Scholarship fund, click here.
