Michael “Maz” McWilliams has been carrying around a watermelon and documenting his journey via Instagram for 100 days. When the pursuit started in honor of Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Month in March, the New York resident, who also has a second home in Harvey Cedars, had no idea it would generate a major following.
“Initially it was a pretty small movement, but it’s grown tremendously,” said McWilliams, who is cofounder and creative director of Digs Apparel, a men’s sportswear company expected to launch in the fall that is also dedicated to raising awareness for TBI.
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| Photo via Michael McWilliams Michael McWilliams carries the watermelon with him wherever he goes. |
The project has inspired an open discussion about TBI and the many struggles that come with it, something McWilliams is all too familiar with. His older brother Timothy C. “Timbo” McWilliams Jr. suffered from TBI after being mugged in Hoboken in 2001.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, TBI occurs when a sudden trauma causes damage to the brain. Symptoms can be mild, moderate or severe, depending on the extent of the damage to the brain. It can lead to problems with balance and coordination, loss of hearing, vision or speech, fatigue, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, anxiety, depression, impulsivity and impaired judgment.
“Needless to say, he (Timothy) was in the clouds,” said McWilliams. “He wasn’t very present, nor was he in great shape.”
Following the incident, Timothy spent many weeks in a coma and required years of recovery. In 2005, he died in a car crash after suffering from a seizure while driving, a complication from his TBI. He was 27 years old.
“I internalized a lot of it and kind of found ways to work through it. It certainly inspired me, too,” said McWilliams. “I started creating music, and I was just way more committed to approaching life in a way that I wanted to approach it. I guess I had a glimpse of how precious it can be, and I didn’t want to waste my time. Fortunately, I’ve had a pretty understanding and encouraging family in that sense.”
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| Photo by Ryan Morrill After writing this story, I was inspired to be a part of the project by capturing my own photos. For the first time since suffering from my own TBI, it allowed me to meet my feelings of shame and isolation with love and acceptance. |
McWilliams was inspired to continue raising awareness for TBI after reading an article in Outside magazine this year that focused on the rising incidence of brain injuries. The article’s lead image featured a watermelon cracked open and duct-taped back together.
“It was kind of like a light bulb moment for me, where I just thought, ‘What a great way to visually translate this really big idea and this really meaningful cause that, I think, most people don’t know what it is and they struggle with understanding it.’ I felt like it was a very simple, beautiful way of telling that story.”
After McWilliams’ initial post on Instagram, he was contacted by friend Adam Pearce, who wanted to help him promote the initiative. Pearce recently co-produced an award-winning snowboarding documentary called The Crash Reel and founded an outreach campaign, Love Your Brain, all in honor of his brother Kevin, a former professional snowboarder who suffers from TBI as a result of an accident in 2009.
“I think that inspired me to say, ‘Oh, wow, this has power beyond just my commitment,’” said McWilliams.
Hoping to help the campaign grow further, McWilliams began sharing his story with other people and encouraged them to collaborate in the project and post their own interpretations using #amelonaday.
“They’d read the story, and they’d email me back, and for the most part, everyone was really moved and wanted to be involved,” he said. “It just kind of started to take on a life of its own in that sense. I can’t tell you how many times a day people tag me on an image of a watermelon, or send me a picture of a melon at a stand or at a market, just because their first thought is ‘#amelonaday’ and ‘Traumatic Brain Injury.’ There’s just an insane power in that.”
The project has also inspired many people to speak out about their own struggles with TBI. McWilliams said he has received many emails from others who want to share their experiences.
“This has made people feel less alone, and I think that’s such an amazing gift,” he said. “In no way do I feel really responsible for it. I feel like it kind of was a gift, and I just feel happy to be a part of it. Really, all the people that have contributed to this, they’re the ones who deserve the honors and the credit. They amaze me every day. They inspire me, and without their images we wouldn’t have reached the people we’ve reached,” he added.
Although McWilliams plans to carry around the watermelon only for the full 100 days, he said #amelonaday will continue to serve as an awareness tool for TBI.
“I think the beauty of what has happened here through this commitment is as I discovered #amelonaday, I discovered the way that social media can be used to generate awareness and move people and inspire people,” he said. “I have every intention of continuing #amelonaday on its own account because it’s part of the (Digs Apparel) brand and part of our mission as a brand to generate awareness and to give. They’ll both be interconnected and related, and we’ll just continue to evolve and see where they go.”
— Kelley Anne Essinger
This article was published in The SandPaper.
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