overwhelmed and moved...

I have the great honor and priviledge of knowing an extraordinary woman that has been through more than you and I could ever imagine.  She's been healthy, she's been sick, she's been in between, and she's been on her death bed.  She is 25 years old.  Her name is Joanna and she moves me every time I'm around her.  I have never in my life known anyone with the charisma and spark that Joanna has.  And it's often very surprising to me, given the fact that she has been near death many many times.  It's easy to get caught up in life's "dramas" and play the "oh, woe is me" game, but I have never heard her utter a negative word about what she goes through.  She truly is an amazing person.

Joanna is one of a kind.  I mean that literally.  She has multiple disorders that nobody else in the world has. She suffers from cranial and spinal abnormalities, neurological conditions, a connective tissue disorder, and an immune system deficiency.  She was joking one time about how her scientist father found the probability of someone having all of the conditions that she has and the probability was a big fat zero.  She finds humor in this, and this is why she's still alive. 

I was inspired to blog about her today because she, yet again, had me in awe 2 days ago.  She and her husband (well, ex-husband but they are still together...long story, you should check out the piece 11Alive did on her... Joanna's Story ), sis and her boyfriend, and the hubs and I were all going to get together this friday for a fantastic dinner/game night.  We were totally stoked!  She sent me a message saying how sorry she is because we have to reschedule because she's going in for surgery on friday.  To her, surgery is like Wednesday...just another day of the week.  She has had over 40 brain surgeries in her life. I can't even imagine.  But what's so funny is that she was apologizing to US about having to have surgery!  I mean, come on! And this isn't like having an ingrown toenail removed...she's having surgery around her jugular and her heart and she's busy being concerned about disappointing us for missing game night??  That's just the person she is.  Completely selfless. 

On top of all of this she was threatened with losing her health insurance at the age of 25 when she could no longer be on her parent's.  That's a scary place to be when your medical bills were over a million dollars in 2010 alone...So instead of getting down and depressed about what she was going to do she started an organization called JoannaCare.  JoannaCare is not only for her, but for the millions of people who can't pay their medical bills because they can't get insured.  The statistic for how many people die each year because they can't get insured and can't pay is astonishing...it's awful.  And she's doing something about.

I can't say enough about her.  She is a beautiful person inside and out and I feel greatly honored to know her.

"I don't know if I have a week or decades to live but I am committed to this world having been better for my being in it."  - Joanna Reid

THAT's who she is.  I'm praying for her and her husband, who might I say, is an amazing person as well.  I can't imagine watching the person you love suffer like he does but he is her rock and he is just as awesome as she is.  Come friday any prayers are appreciated for Joanna as she undergoes yet another surgery.  I told her she better get well soon so we can have another date! 

Me and Jo at Christmas time 2010.  Is she not GORGEOUS?!