“This Christmas season, the entire town of Alabama is holding its breath in prayer for this 11-year-old boy, whose life turned around in an instant.”
Eleven-year-old fifth-grader from Hueytown, Ala., is fighting for his life after experiencing a sudden and tragic medical episode. It all went so smoothly just a few days ago. It all went so smoothly when on Thursday, he claimed to feel a little bit under the weather. But come this morning of Friday, he had apparently shaken that illness completely as he was seen to be smiling and running around when he assured everyone that he feels just fine.
Late that night, Jace suddenly quit breathing. His family endured about 15 minutes of every parent’s living hell. He was rushed to Children’s Hospital, and the physicians put him on a breathing machine and admitted him to Intensive Care.
Even as doctors struggled to stabilize Jace, his family learned that there was swelling in his brain, preventing oxygen from reaching his brain the way that it should. Jace continued to decline as he began having seizures, stopping his heart in the process – all of this occurring in the midst of a frightening evening in the Jacobson household.
“Now doctors think that maybe Jace came down with something terrible for the flu,” said Jace’s father. Jace had no health issues before this, according to his family. He was born premature but only had inhalers years back for breathing issues when he was a kid; otherwise, he had a perfectly normal kid life, so the sudden onset makes the whole situation tough to understand now.
It is a challenging time now.
The doctors have been speaking candidly with Jace’s family, saying that without activity in his brain soon, the results will be disastrous. Each hour counts. Each small glimpse of hope is celebrated, but each setback is agony.
As Jace battles, his loved ones stand with him, holding on to their faith, hope, and prayers. His grandparents have termed the entire scenario as surreal, as though life was moving at a pace that is too rapid for them to keep up with. His aunt was reported to have said that it was uncertain whether Jace would live or not.
But in the wider world beyond the hospital walls, the family has found support from the community in a demonstration of love.
Tuesday night, under Christmas lights intertwined throughout a park in Hueytown, dozens of people came together for a prayer vigil. Friends, classmates, and even strangers came together side by side because of a common desire for a child many may have never met, but care about nonetheless.
The vigil, organized by a family friend, is a practice of prayer, believing it can say what words cannot. She reminded those in attendance just how breakable life can be and the importance of being there for one another in times of pain and uncertainty.
With Christmas coming, Jace is still in the hospital, enveloped in the equipment, the personnel, and the unconditional love of his family. His clan is still hanging on to their religion and the kindness of the community that refuses to quit on him. “This Christmas, the hearts of so many people can be said to be filled with one thing: the hoped-for awakening, healing, and homecoming of Jace Watkins.”
