NXT “THE MONSTER IN THE LIVING ROOM”: Why the Roberts Family is Finally Crying Happy Tears 🦌✨
In the house of Will Roberts, “normal” has been a rare guest lately. For months, the air in their Ralph, Alabama home has been thick with the vocabulary of oncology: PET scans, “spots,” chemotherapy pills, and the heavy silence that follows a long day at Children’s of Alabama. For Brittney and Jason Roberts, strength hasn’t been an option; it’s been a survival mechanism. They have stared down bad news without blinking and pushed through hospital corridors with a defiance that has inspired thousands.
But today, the “Warrior Mom” finally reached her breaking point. The tears finally came.
Surprisingly, it wasn’t because of a medical report or a scary diagnosis. It was because of an “absolute unit” of a guest that just arrived on her doorstep, ready to take up permanent residence.
Remember the massive deer that 14-year-old Will harvested just a few weeks ago? Well, he’s officially “home.” The taxidermy mount is so legendary, so massive, and so incredibly lifelike that Brittney is currently facing a hilarious, wonderful interior design crisis. And in the world of a family battling cancer, a “deer crisis” is the greatest miracle they could have asked for.
Victory on the Wall: More Than Just Taxidermy
In the Roberts household, the walls are beginning to tell a story—and it’s not a story of sickness. It’s a story of life. Every new addition to Will’s “taxidermy situation” represents a day that cancer didn’t win. This latest mount, a monster buck that looks like it could leap right off the wall, is a physical manifestation of a day Will spent in the woods instead of a ward. It’s a memory made in the Alabama sun, breathing fresh air and focused on a target, rather than lying under the fluorescent lights of an infusion room.
Brittney’s lighthearted panic over the new arrival is a profound victory. For a moment, the heavy conversations about “treatment efficacy” and “unpredictable complications” have been replaced by much more urgent questions:
- “Do I name it?” * “Do I need to warn guests so they don’t call 911 when they walk in?”
- “How do I hang this thing so it doesn’t make eye contact with me while I’m trying to sleep?”
Even Rocky, the family dog, is reportedly confused and deeply offended by the giant intruder staring him down from the hallway. These are the “stresses” the Roberts family has been praying for—problems that have nothing to do with white blood cell counts and everything to do with a 14-year-old boy living his best life.
The “Stress” We Prayed For
There is a deep theology in Brittney’s laughter today. When you spend months in “survival mode,” your world becomes very small. You stop planning for the future and start living in 15-minute increments. But hanging a massive deer head on a wall is an act of permanence. It’s an announcement that “We are here, we are staying, and we are making room for joy.”
The shift in focus is palpable. The community that has been holding its collective breath for Will’s scans is now laughing along with Brittney’s “interior design” dilemma. It is a reminder that the spirit of a child is not easily broken, and that a passion for the outdoors can be a powerful medicine all its own.
A Community of Kindness: The “Doc Stephens” Legacy
This moment of pure, unadulterated happiness wasn’t a solo effort. Brittney was quick to share her gratitude for Mr. Doc Stephens and his family, who have been instrumental in Will’s journey over the last year.
In a world that can often feel divided, the “Anglers and Hunters for Will” movement has shown what happens when a community decides that one of their own will not fight alone. Whether it’s providing a professional bass boat or ensuring that a “monster buck” gets the legendary mount it deserves, this community has provided Will with a reason to keep looking forward.
This mount is a testament to those friends who didn’t just say “let us know if you need anything,” but instead showed up with the things that make a 14-year-old boy feel like a king. It is a physical manifestation of a community’s love—a constant reminder on the wall that Will is a conqueror in every sense of the word.
Conclusion: Making Room for Joy
As Jason and Will figure out the logistics of where to put their newest “family member,” the Roberts home feels a little lighter today. Whether it ends up in the den, the hallway, or staring at guests in the entryway, that deer represents a promise kept: that life will be lived to the fullest, one “monster” at a time.
Brittney might still cry when she looks at it, but they are the best kind of tears. They are tears of relief, tears of gratitude, and tears for a son who refuses to let a diagnosis define his world.
The “Monster in the Living Room” isn’t the cancer. It’s the joy that has moved in and refused to leave.
Who’s ready to help Brittney name this absolute unit? 🦌🇺🇸
