Jerika Bolen passed away on Thursday. The 14-year-old garnered national support after she made the difficult decision to end treatment for the painful and devastating disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Her decision sparked a national debate about right-to-die issues. Jerika stopped treatment and entered Sharon S. Richardson Hospice care where her lifelong fight came to an end. Her disease racked her young body with constant pain, reports USA Today. Jerika was never able to walk and could only move her hands and head.
Jerika’s last wish was to attend a prom. So in July she and her mother, Jen, planned a special prom, which gathered an outpouring of support from across the nation, reports FOX 6.
Letting Jerika go was the most difficult situation for her mother, but Jen told local media that she loved her daughter and she could not just watch her continue to suffer as she was, reports PIX 11. She says that her daughter made peace with the fact that she was going to die. Jerika understood that continuing life meant greater pain in the future. …show more content…
Jerika’s mom said that she did understand her daughter’s decision to die because the pain had just become too much for her to bare. As the days passed the thought of saying goodbye weighed so heavy on Jen’s heart. Despite her daughter’s decision, Jen said she was still “holding onto a