My name is Donna, I am Jamie’s mother I have the privilege of telling you a
small portion of his life story. I have found it difficult to write this article as
there is so much, I would love to share with you about him. Jamie’s life was full of
miracles from his birth right up to the time his life here on earth ended (thirty-
nine years) and he went home to be with Jesus.

Jamie’s first miracle was he lived and did not die. He was born with a very
high bilirubin resulting in yellow jaundice, we were sent home after 2 days. On the
third day he wasn’t eating and had his first seizure. After rushing him to the
hospital it was suggested we have him baptized as they did not think he would live.
But God had a plan and went before us.

Through a series of events we ended up going to a hospital in Miami where
we knew a doctor through a church we attended. After many tests and days, we
were told the doctors had done all they could do for him there was nothing else
that could be done.

Many prayers were going up for Jamie. Jerry and I would go in every day and
lay hands on him and pray. This was another intervention of God as we knew nothing
of laying on of hands and praying. After being in intensive care for three weeks one
day we went into his room and he was gone. We were told he suddenly started
getting better and they moved him. Within a week we were taking him home.

At his six months examination we were given very bad news. Jamie was not
developing normally. He actually could do nothing but lay the way we would put him
down. After the checkup the doctor said he would stay that way permanently and
not develop any further. I could not grasp that and immediately went to my source
of comfort. To God and His word. I was led to Isaiah 53:5 “He was wounded for our
transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace
was upon Him and by His stripes we are healed.” We were not very old in the Lord
and this was another scripture I wasn’t familiar with. Again, God had different
plans!

When Jamie was around eighteen months Jerry, my husband went to a
prayer meeting and the Lord told him Jamie would crawl that day. He knew it was
God and shared it with those at the meeting but didn’t tell me as he wanted me to
be surprised. That evening I came home from a class and when I opened the front
door Jerry, and our other two children, Jerry Wayne and Renee all yelled “Jamie is
crawling”. And sure, enough he was crawling like a little army man trying to reach a
cloth that they were dragging in front of him. From that point on he began to crawl
all over, pull himself up and began to walk. God had done another miracle.

Jamie had seizures continually, the medication just helped him from having
grand mal seizures. But then the seizures stopped and we were able to take him
off the medication. We watched him develop more and more and be able to keep up
with his brother and sister. He was seizure free from about two and a half until
five years old.

The seizures started out fairly mild he was put back on medication. Over the
years this was something he continually had to deal with on a daily basis. As the
years went by the seizures got worse and worse. We went through a long period
where we couldn’t brush his hair, teeth or touch him without him going into a
seizure. Closing the car door or trunk would throw him into a seizure. We had to
continually guard him from people touching him. That was very hard to do as Jamie
loved people and liked to hug. Through his life he was on medication after
medication nothing helped to stop the seizures and he was dealing with so many
side effects as well. He got to where he was having roughly thirty- five seizures a
day!

During this time in the eighties a doctor wanted to do x-rays and other
tests on his head. We found out he had five holes in his brain and they were not
able to explain how he could do the things he was doing. It was around this time
God intervened again. He led us to take Jamie to a meeting an evangelist was
holding. He prayed for Jamie and shortly after it seemed as if he had been
electrified. The power of God was all over him. He was so hyper and talked and
laughed all the way home for more than two hours. From that point on he went
down to five seizures a day. We could never get them completely under control. A
few years later he was diagnosed by another doctor with Lenneox-Gastaut
Syndrome having five different kinds of seizures.

I am going to skip some years, more trials, and God’s intervention since this
is only an article. I am hoping to write a book to share it all. Jamie ended up with
liver disease in 2014 and passed away July 4 th 2015. We saw God’s intervention time
after time during that year and a half. That is a whole story in itself!

What I want to leave you with is two things. Who Jamie was and who our God
is.

Jamie was mentally about four to five years old. He was full of joy and
always smiling. The scripture says, “the joy of the Lord is our strength.” Jamie
needed that in order to get through the constant trial in his life. He loved to laugh
and make others laugh. He loved presents especially if they made noises. His
favorite treat was a hamburger, fries and milkshake which he got after doctor
visits. He was full of God’s love. He wanted to hug everyone and tell them he loved
them. He was constantly kissing hands; he could melt your heart! He was a fighter
and a trooper, when he got knocked down, he got back up. Jamie was surrounded by
a family and friends who loved him and enjoyed him very much. He marked each of
our lives individually, changed our family forever. He loved Christian music and to
praise the Lord. He was truly a testimony to not only the power of God but the love
of God.

It is difficult to put into a few words the way the Lord held us and kept us
individually and as a family. He showered us with His grace continually. He
comforted us, guided us, and taught us we could trust Him in and through any
situation or trial. As we go through life, we often encounter something we never
dreamed would enter our lives. We did not expect Jamie to die in fact we were
believing for a total healing in his life. We need Jesus and we can trust Him even
when things don’t turn out the way we think or plan. I have learned God has my life
and the lives of my family. I may never understand why things happen but I can
find peace and rest knowing God. We miss Jamie terribly; our family is not the
same. But we know he is with Jesus free of seizures and pain.