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NEWBERRY — The Willpower Foundation is an example of turning a tragedy into a triumph.

The 20th annual YMCA Prayer Breakfast kicked off Monday morning at Newberry College’s dining hall with Charles Bedenbaugh talking about his son, Will Bedenbaugh, who passed away in a tragic car accident in 2010.

Although the mother, Sherry Bedenbaugh, was unable to attend, Charles Bedenbaugh says, “I’ll never forget the words of my wife and Will’s mom, Sherry, who said, ‘half of my heart is dead.’ Half of my heart is dead but half of my heart is alive and well.”

“In an event of a tragedy, you aren’t alone in dealing with it,” said Bedenbaugh who goes on to say that he has experienced several in his lifetime starting with when he was younger and his dog died to friends who have passed away to Will Bedenbaugh passing.

“Your life shatters, but you keep going on,” he encouraged the students and adults in attendance.

Bedenbaugh mentioned that after Will Bedenbaugh passed, there were images of W’s along with in clouds that he and Sherry saw.

Those images are captured and continued to be captured whenever he, Sherry or Will’s twin brother Alex Bedenbaugh or anyone sees it and snaps a picture. The images are uploaded to the Facebook page.

“The images and words I have heard from him are ‘dust yourself off and get out from under the rock and keep going,’” said Bedenbaugh.

Bedenbaugh also says that coincidences are all God, in his opinion.

“You probably have coincidences every day. Coincidences in my opinion are God. In my opinion, if you look in a dictionary, that’s all it should say - God,” said Bedenbaugh.

Bedenbaugh also shared a devotion from a book in which he encouraged everyone to find one to give them encouragement.

In the devotion Bedenbaugh referenced, he said, “Try to view challenges of the day as an opportunity to grow.”

“Hang on to God’s hand and talk to God every day,” he encouraged the students.

Charles or Sherry Bedenbaugh are both available to speak to church groups or organizations about the Willpower Foundation and want to show encouragement and motivation through their tragedy.

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/willpowerfoundation.