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I’m Backkk!!!!

Hey Everyone, Sorry for the “hiatus”. Things got chaotic but in a good way for the most part.

In March 2023, I returned to Baylor in Houston and got the results of my bloodwork – My “Chromosome Microdeletion” is on the Chromosome(s) 15.21.1-15.21.2 (its rather small) and very rare. There is no other deletion exactly like mine; there are some that are similar, but I am a medical anomaly (as if I didn’t know that already LMAO!)

Somewhat Sadly, In July 2023, My (now ex) fiance of 5 years and I broke up. There were many issues and TBH I think I mostly stuck around because I adored his family. I was sad about our relationship ending at first, but shortly after, his true colors of his personality showed up, but I am not going to air his dirty laundry on here- all I am going to say is what he did after we broke up (Despite trying to stay friends, I had to eventually cut him off for my mental health well being), but, he “shot himself in the foot” of any chances of us getting back together. I am happy to say however that his family still keeps in contact with me and his sister even still lets me see her kids who still refer to me as “aunt Jamie”.

In Other News, Around April of 2023 I got the vision of doing a “podcast” (Sugar Spice and Everything Nice- St Landry Parish) of Promoting Opelousas/St Landry Parish- events, hidden gems of stores/restaurants/etc, good news, etc. as all that makes the news is “bad news” and I don’t agree with that- why only see the bad when theres so much good also? (That’s another thing about my Ex: when I told him about him, he didn’t support it “Why you wanna do that? There barely is anything ever good that happens around here? It wont change anything,” meanwhile I always tried to support every idea he had, But, whatever.)

Shortly after I started my “podcast”, Parish President Jessie Bellard had reached out to me to attend a meeting of a board to help “Push/Promote St Landry Parish.” Shortly after that happened, Guns Down Power Up Founder Eric Williams reached out and asked if I’d be interested in becoming the new Vice President on the organization Board (I made a year as VP in July 2024). Finally, by going out to these events and networking with the community, I am meeting pillars and leaders in the community- other organizations, etc – that could help guide me towards accomplishing some of my biggest passions and dreams that I have had for a long time!

Finally, Guns Down Power Up, thanks to Superintendent Milton Batiste and Marshal Paul Mouton, got some classrooms at the old North Elementary school campus and we were able to do our first ever SUMMER CAMP, which was an amazing success, and I can already see it getting bigger and better with time. #TeamWorkMakestheDreamWork

While yes, my pain is unbearable sometimes and there are days it’s very hard and I just want to “give up,” All the blessings I see in my life, I can’t wait to see what other exciting things await. Now if only my body pains would go back to what they were in 2013-2017, and I’d be on cloud 9, but we can’t have it all.
I will just take one day at a time, that is all any of us can do.

God Bless Everyone!!! ❤

-Jamie

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My favorite people to be around.

Who are your favorite people to be around?

I have always been “a people person,” and I adore being around people, but it’s authentic people, not fakes. For a long time, I have been able to “read a person” by their body language and the way they talk. I can usually tell if someone is being genuine and sincere or just doing it out of “obligation,” So while I do enjoy visiting with anyone and almost everyone, it’s only those who are true and authentic, even the ones I disagree with politically or otherwise- as long as they remain respectful and civil.

My top picks would be: My best friends, certain people in my family, certain family friends/acquaintances, people I met through the community/through the hospitals/or just online friends.
As long as they don’t cause any stress or strife in my life and we can be civil and agree to disagree on things we don’t see eye to eye on, then they are all good in my book. ❤

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My English Paper- The Lights of My Life (March 2010)

The Lights of My Life

Everyone has numerous roles they play in life. The roles I play “send light to people in darkness,” while for me, it’s just what I love to do. The roles I play are best quoted from a close family friend and her family, “Her role is comforter, supporter, friend, evangelist, sisterhood, etc., in our lives and we love her for it.” These roles, along with others, are very important and I take all my roles very seriously.


The role of playing myself is played simple. I am a child of God and try to act as such. People have said I am such an inspiration to be around because I am “always looking ahead to see what I should be doing, always smiling, and always willing to help others.” Examples of this include planning to help with food drives, fundraisers, or other means of assisting. I love to help, not for credit or praise, but because I know I’d like the help if I needed it and because it’s the neighborly thing to do; it makes my heart feel warm and happy.
In the role of friendship, I do almost anything for my friends. Most of my friends have said they know that I am always there for them when they have a problem and I always support them. One friend in high school, Tamika Thomas, said I was a good friend and supporter because in high school, I happily supported her when she ran for vice president of our class, by taking time out of my day to make signs and basically campaign for her.


The role I play in family is very important. My family has said I’m very loving and involved in family activities. When the family gets together, I always try to help out, whether it be with cooking or entertaining the kids, I’ll do it. They have also said that I have a great amount of determination; anytime I was told I couldn’t do something, I proved them wrong. A perfect example of my determination is: when I was an infant, my arms were pretty weak and my mom thought I couldn’t hold my bottle; instead of using my arms, I used my feet to hold up the bottle.


Some people have said two other roles, I play are natural born leader and special needs advocate, because of my “strong character, determination and dedication to personal and community causes that better our society, the confidence and tenacity to make a stand on behalf of those who cannot represent themselves, and looking past disorders and disabilities and loving people for who they are.” A perfect example of this caring and devotion to charity and special needs children is when I go spend time with a little girl with spinal muscular atrophy named Julia Ortego. Julia always smiles when I go visit and says, “I am her best friend and her big sister.” which makes me smile, knowing that I’m making her life as happy as it can be, despite her disability and limited life prognosis.

Another example of this dedication toward special needs and community causes is when I work at the summer day camp for special needs children; even though due to my disabilities, I didn’t get paid to work and had to volunteer, due to my limitations of my disability and the parks and rec people worried about liability; I still work there because I was a camper there once and I felt it’s time I give back to the new generation of campers now attending, plus who better to help the abled-bodied campers “get into the mindset of the campers,” than a former camper?


These roles I play are very important and I take them seriously. The roles I play “send light to people in darkness,” while for me, it’s just what I love to do. I love to help and make everyone happy as best I can. If I see someone depressed or sad, it makes my heart sad. My roles are what paint my world and make me who I am, a small girl in a big world trying to make a difference.


Now in 2023, I want to speak to anyone reading this:

“Life is hard sometimes, it isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, puppies, cupcakes, and unicorns; It does get hard. There are times where you feel discouraged, sad, hopeless, guilt, like you don’t matter or that you have no reason to live, I am here to tell you to not listen to those feelings. While it is okay to acknowledge these feelings and know they exist, know that they are lies; not necessarily the feelings of sadness or anger or hurt or any of that, the lies are the feelings of you have no reason to live, no purpose, that you don’t matter. Those are the lies.

I am here to tell you that as someone who suffered with disabilities as well as bullying because of those disabilities, I know those feelings. I know what it is like to think I won’t have much of a life because of the pain, “How can I hold down a job and contribute to society if I have to live on pain meds just to not want to rip out my spinal column?” “No one is going to want to hire someone who has to take so many sick days,”

or let’s take a trip down the road of Marriage or being a parent: “I know if I get married, I lose my SSI benefits, my fiancé shouldn’t have to support me completely and then private insurance is so expensive and Cost of living keeps going up, maybe I should just end our engagement and save the stress, no..we both love each other. Maybe we just not get married.”

or parenting: “I want to be a parent, but my any biological kids would get my disabilities as they can be hereditary, I don’t want to put that cross on them too.”, “even if I adopt, they still might be disabled because that’s a lot of who are in the system when I look,” “even if they aren’t disabled, they’d get made fun of because their mom is a “freak”, “I could always home-school, but then they wouldn’t get the socialization aspect.”

There will always be worry and fear of the unknown, and the more we worry, the more we humans spiral down that dark hole of despair. I have come to realize that the best thing to do when feeling that way is to go do something to let those emotions out healthily whether it be a hobby you enjoy, going watch a movie or listening to music, journaling, going to therapy, faith, do something to get out of your head and remember to count your blessings: People who care about you, the good days, etc.

But always remember, Everyone has something they can contribute to society, you just have to dig deep down sometimes to find it, but it is there! Never give up!