Avis de décès de Jasmine-Pearl Johnson

Johnson, Jasmine Pearl ALBANY On New Year's Day, January 1, 2007, God sent his angels to carry Jasmine home. Born on August 9, 1986, her parents, Lesley Nelson and Neville Johnson, gave her back to God that morning with deep sadness, but knowing God had plans for Jasmine in Heaven. God had a vacant arts and crafts corner that needed Jasmine's special touch, and fund raising to accomplish that required her expertise. Jasmine's family meant the world to her. They included her personal nurse and caretaker, her sister, Natalie L. Johnson; her big brothers, Shaun and Brandon Langston; her siblings, Rohan Johnson, Ericka Johnson, and Shernette Johnson, all of Fla.; Vencot (Marlene) Johnson, Jumone Johnson, Althea (Jackie) Johnson, Mushtaq Johnson, Kelesha Johnson, all of Albany; her grandfather, Leslie D. Brown, Hyndsville; her stepmother, Deborah Johnson; special cousin, Rhoda Small; and stepfather, Steve Nelson, all of Albany; great uncle, Reginald Small, Hudson; her loving aunt, Dale Gersch, Averill Park; and her cherished nieces and nephews who brought her so much joy. Jasmine graduated from Albany High School this past June, an event truly celebrated by her family and longtime circle of supporters. In 1999, and again in 2005, Jasmine received the "Triple C Award" given for outstanding character, courage and commitment to school and community, given by former attorney general and current Governor Eliot Spitzer. Jasmine left her mark on some wonderful organizations and support services, such as the Albany Ronald McDonald House, Camp Good Days and Special Times, American Red Cross, the bone marrow registry, WNYT-Channel 13, the Guilderland YMCA's Circle of Champs, and the Children's Miracle Network Telethon. She was a gift to all whose lives she touched. Her determination, strength of will, and giving heart carried her and us through her 18-year struggle to just live a normal life. While that was always just outside her grasp, Jasmine somehow managed to squeeze in memory-making times between her trips to other cities for medical care, and her all too frequent, lengthy hospitalizations. She "trained" her Pediatric Hem/Onc staff, her very dedicated nurses on Main 6 and D7, and helped her doctors "write the textbook" for future cases in their care. Jasmine recently decided to do some creative public relations work in the organ donation field. She always liked being a spokesperson for issues close to her heart. From an early age, parents of other sick children would reach out to her to be a voice in their loss, because she understood their pain. Jasmine's family is especially grateful to her extraordinary doctor, Dr. Jennifer Pearce, her patient and caring nurses in Albany and Boston, our entire "medical family" at Albany Medical Center and Boston Children's Hospital (Dialysis and 10 South), to the Albany Regional Dialysis Center, Rosie's Love, Karing for Kids, the Leukemia Lymphoma Society/Heroes at Siro's, the Albany, Boston, New York City and Columbia, S.C., Ronald McDon-ald Houses, her private tutors, the Kidney Foundation, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Northeast NY, and Double H Hole in the Woods. You gave us memories and time, the most valuable of gifts. Friends and family are invited to the Meyers Funeral Home, 741 Delaware Ave., Delmar, from 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday, January 4. On Friday morning, January 5, the family will receive callers from 11 a.m. to noon at the Macedonia Baptist Church, 172 North Allen Street, Albany. A service celebrating Jasmine's life will begin at noon, led by Rev. Leonard Comithier and Rev. Dr. Patricia Bush. Donations in Jasmine's memory may be made to the Albany Ronald McDonald House, 139 South Lake Avenue, Albany, NY 12208, so that other families may know the blessings Jasmine found there. May God hold our precious Jasmine in His arms until we meet again.