Although Jerika has planned when she would be taken off of her ventilator due to an incurable illness, this is not what you would call suicide. Yet, before that occurred, she desired to take action. You will be astounded by this young woman’s narrative and her final dance on earth.
Jerika Bolen has type 2 spinal muscular dystrophy, a condition for which there is no known treatment and which frequently results in excruciating agony. Individuals who have this illness typically don’t make it through their adolescent years. After 38 operations, Jerika made the decision to stop using her ventilator after taking care of her mother in one final way.
“Type 2 spinal muscular atrophy (SMA II) is an uncommon condition that results in crippling pain and, in her case, the loss of all muscle control, with the exception of some of the muscles in her hands and face. She underwent procedures to fuse sections of her spine together with screws, implant rods in her back, and remove all but one fragment of her hip bones. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being the greatest agony you have ever experienced, the pain is usually an 8 or 9. (Source: Washington Post)
Jerika is going out dancing, even though most of us couldn’t imagine making such a choice. She loves to dance, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association camp she attended gave her the inspiration to organize her own prom. She no longer desires to engage in combat. She just underwent her 38th surgery, which was yet another operation to treat the excruciating discomfort in her hips and back. It would be her last, she determined. Jerika is still a typical teen girl who wants to attend the prom and have one final dance at the age of 14.
“Jerika, am I here for my family or am I here for me? I asked myself as I sat down. I am so sore that I can’t even stand up off of my bed. Jerika’s mother, Jen Bolen, is obviously devastated by her daughter’s choice to stop receiving life support at the end of August. She is a nurse and is all too aware that even with life support, her daughter’s odds of living a long life are slim. Jen told the Post-Crescent, “I don’t know how to quit fighting for her. Since the day she was diagnosed at 8 months old, it is all I have done
Jerika remembered how she finally came to terms with her challenging diagnosis and her choice to give up. I cried nonstop for the first week, Jerika said. “Well, I’m never going to have kids, I’m never going to have a family, blah, blah, blah,” I was continuously thinking. The prom, which will be hosted in Jerika’s honor at the Grand Meridian, a venue next to the water tower in Appleton, Wisconsin, is now the main priority. Jerika stated, “I’m simply praying that everyone can be happy.
The prom, which will be hosted in Jerika’s honor at the Grand Meridian, a venue next to the water tower in Appleton, Wisconsin, is now the main priority. Jerika stated, “I’m simply praying that everyone can be happy. She will be dancing to all types of music while sporting a frock in her preferred colors of green and black, according to Jerika, who also likes punk jewelry. “They’ll play mainstream songs, but emo music like My Chemical Romance will predominate. The Washington Post adds that they will fete Jerika with hors d’oeuvres, cake, and dancing.
Jerika will then say her last goodbyes at the conclusion of this summer, which will be her last summer on earth. I’m going to be able to walk, I won’t have this agony any longer, and I won’t have to, like, live this very miserable existence, Jerika added. We grieved nonstop after that meeting with her mother and her counselor, where Jerika expressed her desire to be taken off life support, she remembered. But after a few days, I was giggling maniacally. I thought, “I’m going to be free, I’m going to be with God, and I’m going to be able to walk.
