Say a little prayer

I have been missing my boys so much lately; it hurts. Can't seem to shake the feeling that I've abandoned them. They know how much I love them and will do ANYTHING for them, but it's still hard to be so far away, especially on a day like today! A little after 11 am, Jenny emailed me to say Jermaine was in the hospital! Poor Jermaine (pictured on the left) was wholly neglected at the nursing home to the point his bed sores turned into a dangerous blood infection, then a bone infection, then CODE BLUE!

Beth Abraham Nursing Facility: YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES! Those bed sores should never have been neglected to the point of reaching a deadly infection! Jermaine does not have eyes on the back of his head, not to mention HE'S PARALYZED and can't feel anything! But he still knew something was wrong and told you. But you ignored him. The conditions these young people live in are outrageous!!! 

I called Jermaine immediately, and of course, he was smiling through the phone in pure Jermaine fashion. 

Jermaine's final words to me: "I'm so happy for you, Diana. I know you have to 'do your thing,' but I miss you soooo much! I can't wait to see you!" I can't wait to see you either, Jermaine! 

A little about Jermaine:  Jermaine is one of the sweetest young men you'll ever meet! A church-going, hardworking, happy young man, he was tragically gunned down (after being set up by a friend) for his jewelry. The spray of bullets rained down on him like a tsunami. He managed to survive, but barely. He is now paralyzed. His life has been forever changed since that fateful day. With a loving family but very little money, Jermaine had nowhere to go. His family simply couldn't afford the tens of thousands of dollars it would take to care for him. Thus, like Blake, he was forced to live in a deplorable nursing facility. No place for a remarkable young man with a once very bright future to live.

Although Jermaine seems to find himself fighting one complication after another, he is always upbeat and positive. He obtained his GED and is now going to college! I purchased him a new computer for his birthday this past December, and he's determined to graduate. 

These boys are constant reminders of how precious life is.  They are beacons of hope, love and optimism. 

JERMAINE (left), ME (middle), BLAKE (right)
LULU & JERMAINE! I snuck lulu into the nursing home to drop off some gifts and say "see you later" before we left!

Like so many countless others, Jermaine has been ignored by the system and fallen through the cracks. These kids just need a little help to make something of their lives! 

I'll be back to visit the boys again in April, but it doesn't seem soon enough!!!!