Life is full of experiences of awe, astonishment, joy, and grief. It is frequently claimed that sadness and grief have the most surprising effects on individuals. Nothing lasts forever, yet the vacuum left by a loved one lingers with us long after they’re gone.
While we can’t turn back time, we can at least appreciate our best times while they last and treasure them for the rest of our lives. The tale we’re discussing today has a similar concept.
Jerika Bolen lives in Appleton, Wisconsin, with her mom, Jen Bolen. Her favorite band was “My Chemical Romance,” and she adored following YouTube personalities. She had purple hair, wore green lipstick, and enjoyed shopping. Her Facebook timeline was full with memes and beauty instructions.
Jerika enjoyed being with her girlfriend as well as spending time with her mother. Jen claims that her daughter always smiled in public and in pictures, but only she understood what was beneath that smile.
Jerika was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy type 2 when she was eight months old, an incurable condition that required her to use a wheelchair. Her brain was working correctly, but simple motions like breathing and eating caused her great pain.
She could communicate, but she couldn’t walk and could only move her head and hands. Jerika’s agony grew excruciating when she turned eight. Despite many operations to improve muscular function and mobility, her pain level was often 7 or 8 on a scale of 10.
There were occasions when the pain level reached 9 or 10. Jen stated that her daughter continued to undergo many surgeries, but none of them relieved her pain. Jen enrolled in nursing school when Jerika was five years old, both for financial reasons and to better care for her daughter.
Jerika stated that she fought for her loved ones, mainly her mom, for a long time. But her suffering only became worse with time, and after her 38th operation, Jerika decided she’d had enough.
With the assistance of her counselor, Jerika, aged 14, communicated the news with her mom in June 2016. Jen’s world was flipped upside down when she learned that her little daughter asked to be taken off life support. Nonetheless, she informed her daughter, “Jerika, I love you so much that I am not going to make you suffer any more than you can handle. If it truly is that hard, then I am not going to make you stay here just for me.”
Jen and Jerika’s relatives and friends had witnessed her valiant battle. Sue Bolen, her grandma, stated that Jerika is a wonderfully selfless little kid who is tougher than anyone she’s ever met.
Jen supported her teen daughter’s choice, although she was extremely saddened and broken. The Wisconsin resident said that her daughter never hesitated in her choice to discontinue the treatment and was much more confident as a result.
Jerika eventually went into hospice, and her agony grew more difficult to deal with. She, like most teenagers her age, had always wanted to go to high school prom. She had no idea that her sincere desire would come true in the most extraordinary way.
Jen set up a GoFundMe page and arranged Jerika’s prom, dubbed “J’s Last Dance,” to achieve her baby girl’s dream. Jerika felt like a real-life prom queen in her stunning emerald gown and tiara on July 22, 2016, in the Grand Meridian ballroom in Appleton, Wisconsin, surrounded by family and friends.
Richie Giese, her favorite YouTuber, also made an appearance. To cap off the evening, the mother-daughter duo performed a moving last dance. “I was able to dance. I got to meet my hero, “Jerika said.
When Jerika’s prom night tale went viral, she received love and admiration from individuals all over the world. Jen received a soul-crushing epiphany soon after prom. She recollected that now that prom is done, she realizes the moment is approaching. That’s the only way she’ll be able to move on with her life, understanding that she is relieving her of her pain.
Jerika died quietly at Sharon S. Richardson Community Hospice in Sheboygan Falls in September 2016, after being visited by her grandparents, watching fireworks and movies, and having sleepovers and an exquisite prom night with her mother.
Before she went, the Appleton teen left teddy bears with heartfelt messages for her family and friends. Her mother’s card read: “Hi, Mom, I love you. I miss you, but I am out of pain and I am doing backflips now — and you better RUN!”
Jen said three weeks after her daughter’s death that she had a nice dream in which Jerika was in a wheelchair and she accompanied her. She stated that after some time, her baby girl stood up, took a few steps, and began spinning with a smile on her face.
Jerika Bolen's last danceJerika Bolen has decided to die. But first, she wanted to go to prom. She did, and she was the queen. http://usat.ly/2a54uRc
Posted by USA TODAY on Monday, 25 July 2016
Jen stated that when she awoke, she was relieved to hear that her tiny daughter was safe and pain-free. Undoubtedly, losing a loved one is difficult, and the agony of saying goodbye to a kid may be emotionally draining for parents.
Our hearts go out to Jen and her entire family, and we know that young Jerika is dancing and beaming down from heaven at her mother and all of us.
