INDIANAPOLIS — It’s been a little under two months since Katania Williams last saw her son, Robert “RJ.” A picture of his smiling face dangles along her neck.
”RJ was always happy; he had so many friends,” Katania said.
16-year-old RJ, who had autism, disappeared from Broad Ripple in mid-December. A statewide Silver Alert was issued, but he was recovered from the White River a little more than two weeks later.
Katania said he thought he could walk on the ice and ended up falling through.
”It was devastating because we had talked about water; he knew the dangers of water,” Katania said. “We talked about ice; he knew the dangers of ice. We talked all the time about safety, following his routine, calling if he had questions, making sure he was always safe. RJ knew that if anything happened to him I would be devastated.”
The dock RJ descended upon remains a small memorial of gifts, flowers and balloons. Katania is now determined that her son’s legacy does not die alongside him.
“When we lost him it was like what do we do now? ‘ How can we help others?” Katania said. “So many people tried to help us. What can we do to give back?”
She and RJ’s teacher had the idea to start a scholarship to help kids like RJ, who have autism or mild intellectual development. It’s called the “Robert Earl Williams Jr Scholarship Fund.” Secretary of State Diego Morales signed off on the organization of the LLC on Tuesday.
“It’s going to be a scholarship for enrichment, education, for kids that maybe want to go to some type of therapy.”
Katania said she’s still working out the application process, but hopes to have it open by the summer. While RJ always wanted to be a famous MMA fighter, she thinks he’d like the idea of being famous for this instead.
“It doesn’t give me closure, but it gives me an awakening to know that other kids like him will be helped, that the community made a difference and he’s going to make a difference within the community,” Katania said.