Jason's Story

JASON WAS BORN WITH A HEART DEFECT.
WE DIDN'T FIND OUT UNTIL HE WAS 3 WEEKS OLD.
AT THAT TIME HE HAD A BLALOCK SHUNT AT MUSC IN CHARLESTON,
S.C. TO GIVE HIM TIME TO GROW FOR THE MAJOR OPEN HEART
SURGERY. AT 3 YEARS OLD HE HAD A FONTAN PROCEDURE.
HIS DEFECT WAS TRICUSPID ATRESIA. AT 4 YEARS
HE WENT INTO CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE,
BECAUSE OF SCAR TISSUE FROM THE SURGERY HIS
HEART RATE WAS OVER 300.
AFTER SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE HOSPITAL AND NUMEROUS
MEDICINES TRIED, A PACEMAKER WAS IMPLANTED.
HE HAD SEVERAL IMPLANTED BECAUSE THEY ONLY LAST
SO LONG. HE ALSO HAD SURGERY FOR A DOUBLE HERNIA
AND HAD SEVERAL EAR SURGERIES BY THE TIME HE WAS SIX.
AFTER THAT HE LIVED A PRETTY NORMAL LIFE, EXCEPT FOR
YEARLY CHECKUPS AND NEW PACEMAKERS. HE WORKED AT THE
RADIO STATION HERE IN CAMDEN. IT IS AN OLDIES
STATION AND HE LOVED OLDIES. HE RECEIVED AWARDS FOR
HIS WORK WITH THE TEEN HEALTH COALITION, WHERE HE
WAS ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS. HE WAS PRESIDENT
OF HIS HIGH SCHOOL PEER MEDIATION GROUP, AND
HIV/AIDS PREVENTION COALITION. HE WAS CHOSEN
WITH SEVERAL OTHER STUDENTS FROM SOUTH CAROLINA
TO MEET WITH GOVERNOR HODGES FOR HIS WORK IN THE
HIV PROGRAM. HE WAS VERY ACTIVE IN THE KERSHAW COUNTY
FINE ARTS CENTER. AS YOU CAN SEE HE LIVED A VERY
ACTIVE LIFE. THE SUMMER AFTER HIS HIGH SCHOOL
GRADUATION, A BLOOD CLOT THE SIZE OF A GOLF
BALL WAS FOUND ON THE MAIN ARTERY OF HIS HEART.
HE WAS PUT ON BLOOD THINNERS IN THE HOPE THAT
THEY WOULD DISSOLVE THE CLOT. IN OCTOBER HE
WENT IN FOR A HEART CATH. NOT ONLY WAS THE
CLOT STILL THERE, HIS HEART WAS ENLARGED TO
3 TIMES THE NORMAL SIZE, HE HAD A LOT OF SCAR
TISSUE, THE SURGERY HE HAD AT 3 WAS NO LONGER
WORKING AND HE NEEDED A NEW PACEMAKER. SURGERY WAS
SCHEDULED FOR DECEMBER THE 8TH, 2000. HE WAS IN
SURGERY FOR 12 1/2 HRS. AFTER A FEW DAYS IN ICU
HE WAS PLACED IN HIS OWN ROOM, SO I COULD STAY
WITH HIM. HE CAME HOME CHRISTMAS EVE NIGHT.
WE HAD A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS, HE SAID THE BEST
EVER. THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS HE WASN'T FEELING
WELL, SO I TOOK HIM TO HIS LOCAL DR. HE HAD
PNEUMONIA SO HE HAD TO GO BACK TO MUSC.
HE WAS VERY SICK. HE FINALLY GOT TO COME HOME
JAN. 8TH, 2001. HE NEVER REALLY FELT GOOD AGAIN.
I KEPT TELLING THE DRS. HE WAS SLEEPING ALL THE
TIME AND NOT EATING. HE HAD LOST 50 LBS. THEY
TOLD ME HE WAS JUST DEPRESSED WHICH WAS NORMAL
FOR TEENAGERS AFTER SUCH A TRAUMATIC EXPERIENCE.
WE WENT BACK FOR HIS CHECK UP FEB. 7TH. THEY SAID
HE WAS DOING FINE. I THINK JASON KNEW HE WASN'T
GOING TO MAKE IT, BECAUSE WE HAD MANY TALKS AND
HE TOLD ME IF HE DIDN'T MAKE IT, HE WAS READY
TO GO. HE KNEW WHERE HE WAS GOING. HE WAS
GOING TO HEAVEN. HE TOLD ME NOT TO BLAME MYSELF
IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO HIM. IF THE SURGERY
DIDN'T HELP HIM MAYBE IT WOULD HELP SOMEONE
ELSE.HE ALSO TOLD ME, HE THOUGHT GOD'S PURPOSE
FOR HIS LIFE WAS TO HELP OTHERS. SOMETIMES I
FELT LIKE THE CHILD AND HE THE PARENT DURING
OUR TALKS. THE NIGHT BEFORE HE DIED HE MADE ME
PROMISE THAT HE WOULD NEVER HAVE TO HAVE SURGERY
AGAIN.I PROMISED, BECAUSE I KNEW HE WAS TIRED OF
IT ALL. HE WAS READY TO GO IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE,
BUT I DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEN. THE NEXT MORNING I
GOT UP & HE WAS ON THE COUCH WHICH WASN'T UNUSUAL.
I THOUGHT HE WAS ASLEEP. I TRIED TO WAKE HIM UP
TO GIVE HIM HIS MEDICINE AND HE WOULDN'T WAKE UP.
NEEDLESS TO SAY I WENT BALLISTIC. MY HUSBAND
IS A POLICE OFFICER SO WHEN I CALLED 911 I TOLD
THEM TO GET HIM HOME. WE FOLLOWED THE AMBULANCE
TO THE HOSPITAL. HIS HEART WAS STILL BEATING,
BUT I THINK I KNEW WE WERE GOING TO LOSE HIM.
I TOLD HIS DAD NOT TO LET THEM PUT HIM ON LIFE
SUPPORT BECAUSE HE WOULDN'T WANT IT. HE PASSED
AWAY AT AROUND 9 AM THAT MORNING. THE DR. WANTED
AN AUTOPSY, BUT I TOLD THEM NO. I PROMISED HIM
HE'D NEVER BE CUT AGAIN AND I MEANT TO KEEP THAT
PROMISE. THEY SAID HE EITHER HAD ANOTHER BLOOD
CLOT OR HIS PACEMAKER QUIT WORKING. BUT I KNOW
HIS PACEMAKER WAS WORKING BECAUSE I HAD A
MACHINE TO CHECK HIS HEART & I CHECKED IT THAT
MORNING AND IT WAS BEATING FINE. HIS DAD AND I BOTH
BELIEVE HE WAS HEMORRHAGING INTERNALLY, BECAUSE
OF THE BLOOD THINNERS HE WAS STILL TAKING.I
BELIEVE IT WAS HIS TIME TO GO AND GOD SENT
HIS ANGELS TO CARRY HIM HOME, SO IT REALLY
DOESN'T MATTER WHAT HAPPENED TO CAUSE HIS DEATH.
I HAVE ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT GOD KNOWS WHEN YOU
ARE BORN JUST HOW LONG YOU WILL STAY.HIS FATHER,
MYSELF, HIS BROTHER MIKE AND SISTER SALLIE
THANK GOD EVERY DAY FOR LETTING US KEEP HIM
ALMOST 20 YEARS. HE WAS OUR BABY. MIKE AND
SALLIE WERE 9 & 8 YEARS OLD WHEN HE WAS BORN.
WE WILL ALWAYS MISS HIM, BUT WE KNOW HE IS IN
HEAVEN. HE IS HEALTHY AND WHOLE WITH A PERFECT
HEART. HE LEFT US BEHIND BUT WE WILL SEE HIM
AGAIN SOMEDAY. HIS GRANDPARENTS, NEICES,
AND BROTHER-IN-LAW ALSO MISS HIM TERRIBLY.
I BELIEVE HE WAS OUR GIFT FROM GOD. HE TOUCHED
SO MANY LIVES IN HIS SHORT TIME HERE ON EARTH
AND ACCOMPLISHED MORE IN HIS SHORT LIFE THAN
MOST PEOPLE ACCOMPLISH IN A LONG LIFETIME.

AND GOD SAID......

Posted on the wall at the
Oklahoma City bombing site
by K. C. and Myke Kuzmic
Stockton, Ca.

I said, "God, I hurt."
And God said, "I know."

I said, "God, I cry alot."
And God said, "That's why I gave you tears."

I said, "God, I am so depressed."
And God said, "That's why I gave you Sunshine."

I said, "God, life is so hard."
And God said, "That's why I gave you loved ones."

I said, "God, my loved one died."
And God said, "So did mine."

I said, "God, it is such a loss."
And God said, "I saw my son nailed to a cross."

I said, "God, but your loved one lives."
And God said, "So does yours."

I said, "God where are they now?:
And God said, "Mine is on my right and
yours is in the Light."

I said, "God it hurts."
And God said, "I know."