Upstate Deputy Calls for Better Care After Line-of-Duty Injury

By Corporal Lucas Watts

On November 16, 2023, our family began the long, grueling journey of recovery that comes with a traumatic brain injury. While on duty for the Oconee County Sheriff’s office, I was responding to a routine traffic stop with fellow officers when a suspect began firing, and I was shot.

The physical and emotional toll of being shot is unimaginable, and making the recovery even harder was the fact that I had to leave my home and community behind to seek rehabilitation care out of state. While I was blessed and fortunate to survive, the months since have continued to be an uphill battle for more than just me. My entire family – including my wife, son, parents, brother, and many other loved ones – have continued to sacrifice their time, energy, and resources to consistently be by my side.

For too many people facing severe neurological trauma or diseases in South Carolina, this experience is all too common. But it doesn’t have to be this way.

I am urging our state legislature to support the University of South Carolina’s proposed neurological care and rehabilitation center right here in our own backyard. This project is about more than just providing medical care—it’s about saving lives, easing suffering, and keeping families together during one of the most difficult times in their lives. This center will be the first of its kind in the Southeast, combining both cutting-edge care and rehabilitation in a single facility, creating an unmatched continuum of care.

For South Carolina, this care and rehabilitation center will offer more than just a new medical facility. It will help address a critical gap in care within our state. By offering a comprehensive treatment plan under one roof, it will lessen the need for transferring patients to different facilities, often out of state. It will allow patients to receive immediate, specialized care for their injuries or diseases and, just as importantly, allow them to begin the long road to rehabilitation in the same facility. This is a game-changer, not only for patients but for their families and caregivers, who will have the peace of mind that their loved ones are receiving the care they need, close to home.

This state-of-the-art project will also support local healthcare providers, offering additional training and resources to improve care throughout the state. By creating a collaborative environment between specialized doctors, rehabilitation therapists, and nurses, this center will establish South Carolina as a leader in neurological care, benefiting residents from every corner of our state.

I was one of the lucky ones. I survived my injuries and, through tremendous effort and support, am making progress every day. But I can’t help but think of those who aren’t as fortunate, or those whose journey is made harder simply by being forced to leave their families behind for the sake of treatment. It doesn’t have to be this way. We can do better for our fellow South Carolinians. We must do better.

Oconee County Deputy Lucas Watts was critically injured in November 2023, after being shot in the line of duty for the Oconee County Sheriff’s Department. Despite severe neurological injuries and months of out-of-state rehabilitation, he continues to make progress in his journey to recovery. Corporal Watts and his family are passionate about improving South Carolinians’ access to care to help keep patients and their caregivers close to home during their treatment and rehabilitation.