Why She Smiles - The Jamie Sorum Story

This Spring, A Joyful Co. has the honor of capturing the story of a woman who has found undeniable joy in the face unimaginable suffering. Jamie Sorum is a beautiful 34 year-old woman who is dying of Huntington’s disease. “Huntington’s disease (HD) is a fatal genetic disorder that causes the progressive breakdown of nerve cells in the brain. It deteriorates a person’s physical and mental abilities during their prime working years and has no cure” (HDSA). Huntington’s causes uncontrolled movements, emotional problems, and loss of cognition. If you are unfamiliar with this disease, many people describe the symptoms of HD to be like having Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and ALS -- simultaneously. Jamie has been traveling around with her mom, Pat, to tell her story about the radical love of Jesus, saving her from hopelessness amidst her critical condition. Sadly, Jamie is losing her ability to speak, her ability to travel and share her joyful story.


Coming face to face with her new reality, Jamie’s relationship with Jesus continues to grow. Her wish is to have something to leave behind that tells her story and brings hope to people around the world. Jamie wants to remind the world that no matter what your circumstances tell you, life is worth living. Her joy is infectious and we believe our world is in dire need of a story like this to break through the negativity that is so often pumped out into our media today. This is a story about a girl who in the face of life’s most crushing circumstances, gets up everyday with a smile on her face because she knows there is something to live for. We want to have the opportunity to tell the world, “Why She Smiles.”


We understand that asking for money is not something to be taken lightly, but what we are asking goes beyond the amount you decide to give.  Your money will allow us to fund the production of this beautiful story  that  we pray will  help bring awareness to this horrible disease. A portion of your money will also go toward funding research to find a cure for thousands of people just like Jamie.  We are asking for a total of $27,000, which will fund the cost of making the documentary and a donation towards finding a cure for Huntington's Disease.  We believe fully that our God is not a God of scarcity and fear, but a generous God of abundance and we know that this project fell into our laps by the grace of God. We want to honor Him with a powerful documentary that could reach millions of people that have never been introduced to the love of Jesus. We would be so grateful for whatever you feel compelled to give. If you could take one minute out of your day to watch this video of Jamie - we promise you, you will be touched.  We pray it will lead you to give to this project.


Thank you,
A Joyful Co. Team
#LifeInterrupted
#WhySheSmiles