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JESSICA HALEY DURHAM
November 16, 1993-December 25, 2008
Jessica was born November 16, 1993, and was adopted at birth by Mark and Sheri Durham. A congenital heart condition was repaired with open heart surgery when she was an infant. Before the age of two, she required surgery to correct intestinal blockage. She was challenged with multiple birth defects, including cerebral palsy that caused partial paralysis of her right side. She had aniridia, a rare congenital condition that caused her pupils to stay dilated. In the warm embrace of a loving family, she withstood all those hardships and flourished. She was very bright, gaining membership in the National Junior Honor Society.
In July, 2006, while vacationing in Maui with her family, she was critically injured in the car accident that took the life of Mark, her father. She had emergency surgery to remove her ruptured spleen and to attempt to repair her fractured left leg. Over the next two and a half years, she had many more operations to repair her left leg, but they were not successful. In August, 2008, her left leg was amputated just above the knee. With a prosthesis she was able to overcome the loss of her leg, but she never emotionally recovered from the loss of her father.
On Christmas day, 2008, Jessica lost her courageous battle and passed away in the arms of Sheri, her mother.
Jessica found solace in art and excelled at drawing. Her connection to the Japanese style of animation is evident in her work. She loved the vibrant colors made by Japanese Copic markers, and was a student of fashion design. Her dream was to sell her artwork to help send her, and her sister Marisa, to college. She also wanted to donate to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas in thanks for their tremendous efforts on her behalf after her accident.
To meet Jessica you would assume she was shy, but those who knew her well experienced her dry sense of humor and joyous laugh. She was smart, brave, and determined beyond her years, facing her challenges with courage and equanimity. She taught us humility and compassion for others. She made all of us a better person just by knowing her. We want to realize Jessica's goals. Enjoy the beauty of Jessica's art, and please help make her dreams a reality.
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