Nolan Wells' mother is speaking publicly about what life has looked like in the days since losing her son.
Christine Wonsley posted a video to Instagram on Wednesday (July 16) in which she described the weight of grieving a child while simultaneously fighting for answers about how he died.
As a healthcare provider, she said she has talked about grief professionally for years. Being on the other side of it, she said, is something else entirely.
"Right now everything is so heavy. Everything is so heavy," Wonsley said. "I'm a health care provider so I talk about grief a lot. Now to be on the other side of this, it's a lot. I lost my mom a few years ago and that was hard. This loss, this pain, this grief hits different. It's [insurmountable]."
Wonsley said grief has not been a linear process. "One second I might be okay and I can talk about things and I can listen to his stories and the next minute I am falling apart," she said. "I feel like I can't breathe and I feel like there is an elephant just sitting on my chest, but I know this is the process. I have a wonderful support system, I have my faith in God, which I've been leaning heavy into."
She said she is committed to staying vocal about her son's case because that is what Nolan would have expected of her. "I know if Nolan was here, he'd be like, 'Mom, just keep talking to the people. Keep telling my story,'" Wonsley said.
In the caption of the video, she added: "The loss is so fresh and still we haven't been able to grieve. This loss hits so differently than anything I've ever experienced. My heart will never be whole again."
The video came after Wonsley and Nolan's father, Elmore Wonsley, met with Jackson County District Attorney Angel Myers McIlrath to discuss the investigation into their son's death. During the meeting, the family agreed that experts representing both the district attorney's office and the Wells family would conduct a joint inspection of Nolan's cellphone.
Nolan, 18, disappeared on July 4 during a boat trip to Horn Island off the Mississippi Gulf Coast with a group of friends. The group returned to the mainland without him. His body was discovered two days later and identified using dental records.
The family has retained an independent forensic pathologist and launched its own investigation, saying several aspects of the case remain unanswered. Officials are still awaiting toxicology results before the official autopsy report can be finalized.
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