An Update on 'J'

Remember this post? I told you about a little boys named 'J' whose mother had died recently.

I have more info to share with you all:

J's mom died very suddenly. While she was not a real healthy person, she was not terminally ill. One afternoon in late August she told her older son that she was going to take a nap and went and laid down. J was not home at the time. Around dinner time the older son went in to wake her up and she did not respond. He called his grandmother, who instructed him to call 911. The paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene. She had a blood clot in her leg that travelled to her heart.

J and his older brother have been mostly living at their grandparents house just around the corner from us, although I know that there is an aunt who is in the picture also. J has spent quite a few afternoons playing at our house in the past couple of weeks. He is a great little boy. Very respectful and nice. The handful of times he has eaten dinner with us he has been super polite and NEVER complains about having to eat salad or veggies!

One evening I walked him home and spent some time talking to his grandmother, who is a very sweet lady. She and her husband were just getting ready to retire and do some traveling before their daughter died suddenly, so she is a bit overwhelmed by the reality of having to raise children again. She did tell me that J's dad is in Minnesota but is no longer in jail there, so they fear that he may try to get custody of him. One would hope and pray that doesn't happen, knowing what little I know about his history.

Please continue to pray for this little boy. He is dealing with a lot of pain and although he tries to mask it, I can see that it is there. I want him to feel safe and loved at our house and know that it is a place that he can come to anytime. J doesn't have much in the way of clothes or other worldly possessions and we are in one of the more affluent school's in our district. I have seen first hand some of the kids flaunting what they have or snubbing others for what they don't have, and while I know that not all kids are that way, it can be rough for those who do not have.

Please also pray for Ben. He knows a lot of the details of J's rough life and has really stepped up to the plate to be a good friend to him. Please pray that this continues.