Joanna was born on February 19, 1977, a few minutes before the doctor arrived. She was a precocious child, able to pronounce her brother’s name clearly - “Joseph” while other children called him “Jovis”. She walked at nine months.

When Joanna was about 18 months, her father commented that he didn’t hear her talking as much as she used to, and I, her mother, who was at home with her and her sister, said that she talked to me. But soon it became clear that her speaking had lessened.

Between 18 months and two years, there were two particular instances of Joanna’s speaking. When Joanna was about 21 months, I visited family in Jamaica and a relative wondered why he didn’t hear Joanna speaking. A few minutes afterwards, while we discussed what to eat, Joanna started jumping and declaring, “I want to go to the restaurant”! The second event was on a Lord’s Day morning, while she was being prepared to go the meeting, Joanna started reciting the verse her sister had memorized, “Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fulness of joy;” (Psalm 16:11a).

But by the age of 2-½, Joanna was being tested to try and find out the reason for the decline in her development. It seemed that she had had a petit mal seizure which caused extra activity on the left side of her brain. Then up to four years later, after many tests and scans, we ended up with a prognosis of “Rhett’s Syndrome”. Dr. Rhett, an Austrian paediatric neurologist, identified that “something” happens in the brain of girls between 18-24 months, which triggers a slowdown, and gradual halt of mental development. Thus began Joanna’s journey as a “special needs” person, first in Georgia, where she attended a day program, including swimming. Then when we moved to Florida, after trying a few programs and living situations, Joanna ended up at Valencia House, where Lyn and Alan have cared for her with utmost care and understanding and diligence, up to having her in the day school which they started.

Joanna was a playful and happy child, with an independent streak. She seemed to absorb things by watching and listening. Once I was feeding her with a spoon and she became fussy and so I put the spoon down. She promptly picked up the spoon and started feeding herself. And she would start singing songs which she heard her sister singing. But as her mental capacity declined, she lost her ability to speak but had no problem finding and opening a pack of crackers or cookies.

Although Joanna lost her ability to speak, she could still understand basic instructions and continued to live a pleasant life. She has lived the last 15 years with Lyn and Alan and been under their diligent and loving care. They can testify that Joanna makes it known when she does or does not like something. But overall, she was a happy person. Her sickness manifested itself without warning and immediately she was placed in hospice care, at her home with Lyn. And even during this time Joanna was totally at peace, being cared for with love, and borne by the Lord. 

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