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Saturday, May 9, 2015 Published by J-Ad Graphics, Inc. Phone (269) 945-9554 1351 North M-43 Highway • Hastings, MI 49058-0188
other’s Day is special for Julie Jarvis, but so is every day given the near 20-year battle she’s been waging with a rare spinal cord and brainstem diseases that keep her in near-constant pain and fatigue. She’s still a mother, though, and remembers well the days when she was chasing her boys Marc (left) and Mike on the monkey bars. This Mother’s Day, there’s reason for joy on the playground as Julie, with the support and encouragement of her sons, fought through weariness, frustration and a mountain of paperwork and phone calls to convince Gov. Rick Snyder to proclaim the month of May as Syringomyelia Awareness Month across the state of Michigan. The honor is a tribute to a mother who’s never stopped fighting and to sons who, through their mother’s courage and tenacity, have also learned the value of empathy and compassion for others. For the story of a family that’s determined to find a way to bring joy to others, look inside.