the inspiration behind chea clothing By DeAndra Dycus | Photos by Heather Gregg 21 Vines Photography
Meet Joyce Fields I DIDN’T KNOW MY OWN STRENGTH In 1990 Joyce Fields found out that she would be giving birth to twins. Joyce felt pure excitement and joy in knowing that her family would be growing beyond what she expected. This wife and mother of one was ready to embrace her new bundles of joy and all that life was about to bring her. Unexpectedly, Joyce gave birth to her twin boys two months early. Tilas and Taurean were born on March 28, 1990. There was so much uncertainty around having twins early, but Joyce knew very early on that she would have a fight on her hands, especially after receiving the news that Tilas’s heart stopped during delivery, and it appeared that he was having grand mal seizures while still in the womb. Joyce was told her son would not live past the age of 2. Only 25, and already raising one child, Joyce felt a bit overwhelmed but knew that it was her faith and her boys against the entire world. Tilas’s health would be touch and go over the next 18 years. Joyce relocated from her hometown of Elkhart, IN, to Indianapolis in search of better medical care for her baby boy. It did not take long for her to realize that her baby was sent home to die. Heartbroken by the thought that the healthcare system treated her son and his medical needs differently because of his race, this mother knew she had to be her son’s greatest advocate. Joyce shared with me how several hospital systems ignored the size of her son and the discoloration in his skin. At 12 months, Tilas weighed only 11.5 lbs! According to healthychildren.org, the average weight for a 12-month-old boy is 21 lbs. How could this be ignored?
Taurean and Tilas Taylor
Tilas Taylor
16 Special Needs Living • September 2021
As a mother of two black boys, I began to tear up listening to Joyce talk about the medical disparities that she and her children faced in the early ‘90s. One hospital system even accused her of neglecting her boys and threatened to report her to authorities. It was not until they ordered medical records that they realized that Joyce was telling the truth; her cries for help and more
adequate care were simply ignored. Joyce reported to one hospital system that she was performing CPR 3-4 times a day just to keep her son alive and that often he looked discolored, but no home oxygen would be given until nearly a year later. Life was tough, but Joyce never gave up. Her marriage soon was over. After an extensive hospital stay with Tilas, her older son, who was 3 at the time the twins were born, stated that he hated her because of the time she spent caring for not only Tilas but also Taurean, who was born with a heart murmur.
Grevin Fields (34 years old), Joyce Fields and Taurean Taylor (30 years old)
Joyce Fields, Taurean and Tilas Taylor, Grevin Fields
Few realize the sacrifice that a parent has to make when they are raising a child with special needs. It not only takes a physical toll but an emotional one as well. Joyce knew she loved her son Grevin as much as the twins. But she also understood his pain, as he often spent more time with his grandparents and aunts than he did with her due to Tilas’s lengthy hospital stays. Tilas required full-time care. Joyce was unable to work or attend college while raising him. She had nursing support but that was not always dependable. Joyce stated she enjoyed the peace that came with being there for her son. Tilas had a trach, feeding tube, and shunt placed, and was on a ventilator. Getting out and being social like other women her age did not happen often. Although she had the support of her family, she recognized the fear that family members felt when they were in charge of his care. That meant free time for herself was very minimal. She stated that she slept maybe 12 hours a week, as she was the full-time caretaker after her son’s nurses ended their shift. Around-the-clock nursing care did not come until years into their journey. Joyce and her family rarely were able to travel when her children were smaller due to Tilas’s complications. However, they would often drive back to her hometown of Elkhart to visit with friends and family. They enjoyed holidays and BBQ’s together and would root for the Indianapolis Colts. The whole family also loved going to the park.
