Support for Jaquez Jenkins

June 7th UPDATE!!! Jaquez matched with a donor last night and had surgery today! Let's all pray for a speedy recovery!

Jaquez Jenkins is always smiling. He has a heart of gold but that gold heart needs some help right now. Jaquez was diagnosed with heart failure and is in need of a donor heart. He has been in Lurie Children's Hospital since mid-January waiting patiently for a match. He will be a graduate of Phoenix Military Academy's Class of 2020 in June.

This is a letter written on his behalf for his college applications that describes him and his spirit:

"With a flattop haircut as an addition to his already tall stature, Jaquez Jenkins doesn’t have to do a lot to stand out, but he does. Jaquez can be found sitting at the front of the class, his hand shooting up to answer every question and at every opportunity to read aloud. After school, Jaquez can be found getting extra help from his math teacher, keeping score at the basketball games, or coaching an elementary school basketball team. While there are many students in the senior class at Phoenix Military Academy who want to earn a college degree, Jaquez Jenkins may very well be the student who wants it most. Jaquez is not shy about his goal and constantly seeks leadership opportunities and academic resources in the hopes that one day his involvement and effort will pay off by earning admission and ultimately graduation from college. I recommend Jaquez Jenkins to your school and all scholarship opportunities available due to his strong commitment to earning a college degree, undeniable leadership potential, and ability to challenge and support his peers in taking steps to reach their goals. Jaquez has many unique perspectives, and he’s not afraid to delve into conversations exploring them, even when he’s in disagreement with his peers. Jaquez’s passion exudes from him when having a conversation with his peers about the most recent controversial topic. Whether it’s related to sports, a social issue in politics or otherwise, Jaquez isn’t afraid to have conversations with those he disagrees with. It is certainly fun to watch him debate with such passion amongst his peers. Jaquez’s ability to share passionate discussion amongst his peers whether in agreement or disagreement stems from his strong ability to develop relationships with others. With a tight knit group of friends, Jaquez pushes his peers to engage not only in difficult conversations, but also with their academics. He leads by example with his own superior engagement in the classroom, but also calls back his friends when they get off task. He encourages his shyer friends to get more involved and would be the first to stand up for someone if they were getting picked on. Jaquez Jenkins is the student that everyone wants to succeed. While academic subjects do not come naturally to him, he never stops trying and always seeks out resources to do better. Not only does Jaquez ask for help when he needs it, he helps others at any opportunity. His intellectual curiosity, ability to delve into difficult conversations, and develop strong supportive relationships with others makes him an asset in any environment. Jaquez will undoubtedly inspire others with his work ethic, and impact your campus’s students, faculty, and staff alike with his compassion and relationship development skills." (written by Ms. Bond)

Let's band together to help Jaquez reach his goals of leading a long and healthy life. He has a lot to live for and we need more young adults like Jaquez to be leading by example in this day and age. His heart is working overtime to keep him on this earth at the moment, let's support him with prayers and try to lessen the burden on his family.