A new chapter in the story of an Appleton teen who wants to be taken off the ventilator that keeps her alive. A man who suffers from the same illness is making a heartfelt plea to the long-suffering teen.
Last month, Appleton teen Jerika Bolen, suffering from spinal muscular atrophy, decided she no longer wanted to fight the inevitable.
That doesn't sit well with Jordan Schroeter, the Grafton man who also endures the daily pain and helplessness of SMA. He produced a video message to Jerika.
"If you're watching this, please don't do this. Please reconsider your decision. I know your pain and everything you're talking about, but sweetheart you have so much left to give," said Schroeter in his YouTube video.
Jordan's plea has been viewed tens of thousands of times on YouTube.
Now he's explaining why he made it.
"Our days are numbered. Our days are counted and when our time is up, it'll be up. It's not by our own hand," said Schroeter.
Jordan says he knows Jerika's searing pain. He speaks about their shared affliction with eloquence.
"You just experience everything together. The physical pain you all experience, the mental pain and the emotional pain, it's all the same," said Schroeter.
Watching her son reach out has been uplifting for Gina Schroeter.
"God was going to use him, you know his disability to have the ability to help others. That's what it's all about," said Gina Schroeter.
Jordan's mother says she wishes her son and Jerika could meet and talk. In the meantime she says her family will remain faithful, beginning each day with prayer and positive outlook.
To read other stories about Jerika, click here.
