When Lakesha Abron-Powell walks the halls of HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital, she carries more than medical expertise. She brings the memory of her son Bryce, whose 2020 motorcycle accident forever changed her life’s trajectory and led her from a career in software engineering to becoming a trauma nurse at the same hospital that treated him.

• “I realized that you’re not just taking care of a patient, you’re taking care of a whole family,” Abron-Powell said. “Every nurse here has a story. Mine is just one of them.”

Abron-Powell’s son Bryce was 21 when he was hit while riding his motorcycle near the intersection of Racetrack Road and Stewby’s in Fort Walton Beach on Labor Day weekend in 2020. Despite sustaining severe injuries — open fractures to both legs, a broken pelvis that severed his femoral artery, lung contusions, broken arms and ribs — Bryce initially survived the crash that threw him 150 feet from his motorcycle.

When Bryce arrived at the trauma center, his character shone through despite his critical condition. The hospital staff remember him for his politeness even in crisis.

• “When I arrived at the hospital, a lot of the nurses came out to tell me how polite he was and how he kept thanking them, which is typical of Bryce,” Abron-Powell said. 

The hospital allowed Abron-Powell to stay overnight with her son. When she saw him at midnight, he was conscious and recognized her. There was no head injury, but his condition was critical.

In a remarkable effort, the hospital placed Bryce on ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), a treatment not typically available at the facility, when his oxygen levels couldn’t rise above 85%.

• “This hospital went out on a limb and put my son on ECMO,” Abron-Powell said. “We had one perfusionist, his name is Jim, and he sat in this hospital for three days, not leaving my son’s bedside except to get sleep.”

After three days, Bryce was transferred to a hospital in Ocala better equipped to handle the ECMO portion of his care. The family rented a house nearby, as doctors began addressing his injuries and discussing rehabilitation. However, on day 12, complications arose.

“On Day 12, I walked in, looked him in his eyes, and I knew something was wrong,” she said. Bryce had developed a blood clot in his arm. Following its removal, his condition deteriorated. His kidneys shut down, and his heart rate dropped to 50 beats per minute.

• “This is the first day he told me that he was afraid,” Abron-Powell recalled, her voice breaking. “If I look back, the only regret I have is not being able to find the words to tell my son that it was okay to let go. Selfishly, I told him to fight.”

Bryce Powell died on September 20, 2020.

At the time of the accident, Abron-Powell was 12 weeks away from completing nursing school, a career change she had begun while still working in software engineering. She had enrolled to learn medical terminology for a potential job programming medical software.

Despite her loss, she graduated in December 2020, supported by classmates. “I knew if I didn’t finish [then], I wouldn’t finish [at all],” she said simply.

Although initially reluctant to work at the bedside, preferring to stay behind the computer, the impact of the medical staff who cared for her son changed her perspective. She applied to several hospitals but felt drawn back to HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital.

• “I felt like when those double doors opened for my interview, it was home,” she said. “They wanted me to start off at med-surg but I told them I’m an ICU nurse, and that’s where I have to be.”

She began on the night shift, a deliberate choice based on her experience as a family member.

“I feel like at night you’re the most vulnerable,” she explained. “During the day, you have everyone and everything you need. Your family’s awake, somebody’s at the bedside, but families are most vulnerable when we tell them to go home and get rest.”

• “I chose to take care of people at night because I felt like that was my most vulnerable time. I wanted to reassure people that their family member was getting the care that they needed.”

Now working days as a trauma performance improvement nurse, Abron-Powell rounds with the trauma team and shares her story with patients and families when appropriate.

“I let families know that no matter the outcome, that if I can stand here, then so can you…and we’re going to hold your hand,” she said.

Dr. Drew Mikulaschek and Dr. Cathy Ho, who were Bryce’s receiving doctors in the trauma unit, remains close with Abron-Powell. They acknowledge their “anniversary” each year, though it brings mixed emotions.

Abron-Powell’s younger son Tyler, who is four years younger than Bryce was, has also found purpose through the tragedy. Now a junior at Webber International University, he plays football while pursuing nursing education.

• “HCA will have a future nurse. He works here as a student nurse during the summer,” Abron-Powell said proudly. 

The family continues to honor Bryce’s memory through motorcycle safety awareness. Abron-Powell’s mother donates helmets annually through the company that made Bryce’s helmet.

“I cringe when I see motorcycle riders with no helmets on,” Abron-Powell said. “I don’t want you not to ride because you can’t afford one. So we try to close that gap as a family.”

Memories of Bryce’s vibrant personality sustain the family. At his memorial service, strangers approached to share stories of how he had touched their lives.

“He had this gift of bringing joy to people,” Abron-Powell said. One woman recounted meeting Bryce at a gas station late at night. He insisted on escorting her home on his motorcycle to make sure she was safe. “From then on, they became riding buddies and joined the same Thursday night riding group.”

Bryce, who graduated from Niceville High School in 2017, had been working at Enterprise Rent-A-Car and trying to figure out his path. “He was a people person,” his mother said, recalling how he enjoyed meeting and helping customers.

He also helped raise his girlfriend’s daughter, a decision that now brings his mother comfort.

• “My son got to be a dad. My son got to live on his own. My son paid his own bills, got his own apartment, and co-parent a child,” she said.

Five years later, Abron-Powell sees her work as continuing Bryce’s legacy of bringing joy to others. As she walks the hospital halls where her son once fought for his life, Lakesha Abron-Powell embodies her own philosophy about finding purpose in loss:

“I wouldn’t be having this conversation if it wasn’t for Bryce,” she reflected. “Every stone that I turn over, every corner that I turn, I see him, and I’m blessed. I am grateful for it.”