Teen With Incurable Disease, Hosts Prom Ahead of Physician-Assisted Suicide

[Guest Mauro]

Jerika Bolen, Teen With Incurable Disease, Hosts Prom Ahead of Physician-Assisted Suicide: ‘I’m Super Happy’

One last dance. A 14-year-old Wisconsin teen with an incurable genetic disease celebrated her incredible life with her local community at a prom thrown in her honor, just one month before her planned physician-assisted suicide.

Jerika Bolen — who suffers from spinal muscular atrophy, a condition that has essentially left her immobile after damaging her muscles — showed up to the celebratory event on Friday, July 22, in a turquoise mermaid gown with “her usually purple hair dyed a similar shade,” according to the New York Daily News. She was escorted in a stretch limo by local first responders.

Earlier this summer, the Appleton resident told her mother, Jen Bolen, she was ready to die. She told the The Post-Crescent on Sunday, July 24, that she’s at peace with her decision, but is “heartbroken” for her close friends and family who’ll grieve her untimely passing.

“When I decided, I felt extremely happy and sad at the same time,” she explained to the local newspaper. “There were a lot of tears, but then I realized I’m going to be in a better place, and I’m not going to be in this terrible pain. I’ve been working on it and thinking about it for way longer than anyone else has.”

Last month, Jerika and her mom made arrangements for hospice care. The ventilator she relies on for 12 hours a day to help her breathe will be pulled at the end of August and she’ll be put on morphine.

The teen says she is almost always in chronic pain in her hips and back, in addition to getting nerve spasms and having weak bones.

Thankfully, Friday night’s prom helped Jerika take her mind off her daily battle. “I’m super happy and I don’t have to think about anything bad at the moment,” she told The Post-Crescent of the celebration, where she later won the coveted title of prom queen.

Teen Jerika Bolen made the brave decision to end her life following years of illness. Post-Crescent

“I try to be as happy as possible,” Jerika explained to the news outlet on Sunday. “I know I can’t always be happy every day. I still wonder why God picked me to have this disease and I know I can never know the reason. Maybe because I’m strong, I guess.”

During her fight, Jerika has been in operating rooms more than 30 times for countless surgeries, but she has managed to stay determined through it all. Says her grandmother, Sue Bolen, “She’s a very unselfish little girl and she’s tougher than anyone I’ve ever known.”

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/teen-with-incurable-disease-hosts-prom-before-assisted-suicide-w430635

[Ai Papi Si.]

Jesus christ this is sad. Wow.

[le smoking]

what a wonderful brave girl

[Guest]

Oh my god. So depressing. My heart goes out to her.

[Guest Rachelle of London]

What a wonderful beautiful girl.

[Mattress]

Beautiful and sad and very brave.

Puts a lot of the petty crap we humans tend to dwell on into perspective.

[Mad_On_Her]

very brave!

[Barbie]

This broke my heart. What a brave girl.

[Barbie]

I can't stop crying

[jacket]

Such a sad story.

I'm glad she is able to exercise her right to choose.

[Jaz]

I'm crying for this beautiful girl.

Maybe one day science will heal other girls like her. I wish she would hold on, but I understand it's HER choice.

[Nikki]

its true. always the people who are very sick or have a serious problem that affects their daily life like hers are the strongest. i also wish she could hold on. knowing you won't wake up really soon and leave this world must be scaring her no matter how much she tries to hide that from her mother. her parents must be devastated. not only for her choice, but how she's thinking about such things or fearing there 's no way out is the worst feeling in the world to have as a parent.

[Nora]

What a beautiful girl. This is heartbreaking.

Makes me realize that all my "problems" are no problems at all.

Brave girl!

[anastaza]

Bless her

[Guest]

I wish we could help her and give her a fair chance at life.