We Will Never Forget You Jezreel

One of the pleasures of my life is meeting amazing people, learning their stories and overall look on life.

Many of those amazing people have been people with disabilities. Maybe it’s because they have to work around their “challenge” (to use the PC term). I don’t know…I just know that they all seem to be brighter to me than most people.

Friday, we lost a shining star…Jezreel Herr.

She was nine years old, but her outlook, wisdom, and compassion was well past her years. I had the luxury of meeting her three years ago at a special VIP night at MDA Camp where – as part of the MDA Live Ride Committee – we had dinner, received a tour, and took part in a couple of events with the children.

Our tour guide that evening was Jezreel, and it was incredible to have to keep up with this feisty young lady! Many people think that a wheelchair is a hindrance….I know better! On wooden paths, gravel, and dirt we (Sirock and I) had to stride to keep up with her.

The final evening’s event was to launch balloons with wishes. Jezreel’s wish? Not to walk, or run…but to live long enough to become a doctor and find a cure so others will never suffer.

In the coming years we (Sirock, Minx and I) got to know her better and her compassion, lust for life, and charm (Minx will tell you she was a fantastic flirt for her age) shone…no…blazed through.

One of the things that Jezreel taught me was that as long as you were alive, everything else (not being able to walk, financial troubles, etc.) were just minor inconveniences to be accepted on life’s journey. She never let her illness stop her from being a frolicking child – always underfoot with her playing.

Jezreel was always a welcome sight and touched so many lives and will continue to be one of the many reasons that we need to find a cure for this terrible disease.

We will never forget you Jez.

View the photos from the slideshow here. KTUU also ran a story which can be watched and read here: http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=7089519

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September 17, 2007 · Filed Under General

Comments

3 Responses to “We Will Never Forget You Jezreel”

  1. Remembering Jezrel Herr | www.leray.us on September 18th, 2007 2:11 pm

    [...] You can read the tribute here: http://hogbiker.com/2007/09/17/we-will-never-forget-you-jezreel/83/ [...]

  2. I’ll Be There In Spirit….. | hogbiker.com v3.0 on July 19th, 2008 11:09 am

    [...] today is the Live RIde for MDA event and with it being dedicated to Jez (read my writeup on her here), it’s been tough to know I could not be [...]

  3. This is my Year of Jez ride. | hogbiker.com v3.0 on July 18th, 2009 7:08 am

    [...] Some of you may remember that a delightful young lady I had the pleasure of knowing had passed away in 2007: http://www.hogbiker.com/2007/09/17/we-will-never-forget-you-jezreel/83. [...]

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