My Daughter, My Angel ~ Jessica Tarver

by Sharon Washington
(Ellenwood, Ga USA)

My Daughter, 8-30-84, My Angel, June 1, 2009, Jessica, passed away on June 1, 2009 at the tender age of 24. She served in the United States Air Force, was a graduate of Woodham High School in Pensacola, Florida and was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma where she lived for four years of her life, but would visit often.

She contracted an infection while serving in Iraq and was diagnosed in 2007 here in Atlanta with a very rare disease called Still's disease which is a form of rheumatoid arthritis. It mimicks a couple of diseases, one of which is lupus. It attacked her immune system.

She was hospitalized once with a urinary tract infection and her blood pressure dropped to the point she had to be given a medication called Levophed and Janet I'm sure with you being a nurse you've probably heard of it.

Well after the administration of this medication she had to have a bilateral below the knee amputation of both her legs. She spent almost a year in San Antonio, TX for rehab and she learned to not only walk with prostheses, but in heels!

She got sick probably two or three more times in San Antonio to the point they had to administer the Levophed again for the last time and from what I understand, in a very weak voice she reminded them that it was the Levophed that took her legs. When she received her amputation, she told me and others, "her legs got to heaven before she did".