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Wilson pleaded guilty in October to driving under the influence causing serious bodily injury and driving under the influence causing death and was sentenced in Cabell County Circuit Court.

But for Braxton McComasÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ grandmother, Debbie McComas, the pain is still there.

ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœWhen you lose a child, itÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s a pain you donÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™t get over, but you still have choices on how to move on with your life,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� she said.

So when an anonymous individual called Debbie McComas asking for permission to display a billboard this year in Braxton McComasÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ honor, she said she thought, ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœThis is a good opportunity to reach out to remind people the dangers of drinking and driving.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœOf course, everybody thinks, ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ˜Well, thatÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s not going to happen to me.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ But Braxton was probably one of the few kids that he had no interest in drinking, no interest in drugs, no interest in smoking. Good grades,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� she said. ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœHe tried to live a good life, and all of his friends knew that. So if heÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s going to be killed by a drunk driver, the one person (who didnÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™t) drink, it can happen to anybody.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

The billboard, which features a portrait of Braxton McComas, will be displayed July 3 and July 4 as a message to passersby saying: ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœThis 4th of July season, please donÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™t drink and drive!ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

A light for others

Debbie McComas said the anonymous individual visited her home about three months after Braxton McComasÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ death, explaining they had read his story. The visitor explained this had made an impact on their life and led them to quit drinking.

This visitor was not the only person who approached Debbie McComas about her grandsonÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s story.

Braxton McComas, whom Debbie McComas said was smart, athletic and could pick up any instrument and learn to play, lived his life by helping people who were struggling or who needed a friend.

ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœHe just had a way of knowing whether you needed friends. So heÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s kind of like this light,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� she said. ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœWhen he died, even at his funeral, I think there were about 1,500 people there.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

After the funeral, Debbie McComas started receiving calls from people who attended who she recalled saying, ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœI know a funeral for a 17-year-old should be sad, but this was kind of like it renewed me.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

She began receiving calls from people across the country, and even one from England, of people who said Braxton McComasÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ story had ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœchanged their life. Made them make better decisions, not just drinking and driving, but just life decisions,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� she said.

ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœThese people still contact me routinely, just saying, ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ˜He still touches my life. I still think about him,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� she said. ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœThereÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s three different churches across the country that somebody in their parish had read the (story) and had masses set for Braxton. So itÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s just like this thing that just seems to keep going on.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

Debbie McComas said in the days before her grandson died, he told her he wanted to start praying and meditating more and asked for her set of prayer beads, which he wore on the outside of his shirt.

On the night of the crash, the beads seemed to be lost, until a West Virginia State ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ officer approached her at the funeral with the set of beads, with one bead missing.

ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœSo it was like, ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ˜OK, Braxton. ThatÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s your sign. IÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ve got the beads,ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ� she said. ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœI think that story gave a lot of people hope that there is something other than just this. He probably got 20, 25 sets of rosary beads people sent.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�

Debbie McComas said her message to anyone considering drinking and driving would be, ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœYou have a right to drink. You do not have the right to get behind the wheel of a car and drive while under the influence.

ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬœYou do not have a right to jeopardize another personÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ™s life with your bad decisions.ÈËÑýÉ«ÇéƬ�