Meet Joyce Fields - The Inspiration Behind Chea Clothing

By DeAndra Dycus | Photos by Heather Gregg 21 Vines Photography

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.

Joyce Fields, Taurean and Tilas Taylor, Grevin Fields

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?

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.

Tilas Taylor

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.

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 Fields and Taurean Taylor

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.

Grevin Fields (34 years old), Joyce Fields and Taurean Taylor (30 years old)

Tilas’s favorite movie was The Mummy. He loved it so much that if he heard it playing in his sleep, he would wake up to watch it. Joyce’s favorite movie is Pursuit of Happiness because it gives her a reflection of who you can become and the knowledge that your dreams are worth fighting for, no matter the obstacles set before you. She truly believes that Tilas obtained that dream. He was a happy kid and his happiness warmed her heart more than most would ever know.

Joyce showed the strength and grace that so many parental caretakers have, but it is rarely shown to the world. Before I ended our conversation I thanked her for that strength, and we even shed some tears. It’s a beautiful thing when you can connect to women who share a similar pain. It’s so important that we have an ear from others to hear things that most people cannot begin to understand. After pressing end on my phone, I turned to my husband and said “she is my new hero.”

There is so much uncertainty that comes with raising a child with special needs, from the costs and availability of care to being able to balance life with everyone else who is depending on you. Very early on into her journey of being a special needs mom, her marriage dissolved, leaving Joyce and her 3 boys to embark into this new territory alone. Joyce did not give in to the temptation of giving up. Instead, she simply kept going, becoming everything that her children needed her to be. No one walks this walk with perfection, and if we are honest, we sometimes wonder what giving up looks like. But like so many others, Joyce took that option off the table, and she excelled. She shared with me how her faith in God truly carried and still carries her through.

Taurean and Tilas Taylor

In 2008, Tilas went into cardiac arrest at home. Joyce took him to Riley Hospital where his heart started and stopped one last time. Joyce painfully decided to let her beloved son go after family and friends came to say a final goodbye. The doctors had declared him brain dead.

Tilas Taylor

In honor of her son and his fight for life, Joyce founded Chea Clothing LLC in 2001 (https://cheaclothing.net) and the Chea Smiles Foundation, Inc., shortly before Tilas passed. Under her nonprofit, Joyce hosts wheelchair van car washes and fashion shows for children with special needs. Tilas was able to attend both before his passing and this made Joyce one proud mother. I’ll add that she is One Tough Mother!

Joyce Fields and Taurean Taylor( son 30 yrs old)

When you see us, don’t stare, say a prayer, or just keep walking. Don’t wonder how sad we are; we are just as happy as you are. Our journeys may appear to be different, and quite frankly they are, but the one thing that is our common denominator is the love we have for our children. We are all momma and papa bears standing ready to do the next big thing for the best thing that has ever happen to us and that is being a parent.

Joyce Fields

Do you have a caregiver that you would like to nominate to be in an upcoming issue of Special Needs Living? Email us at SpecialNeedsLivingIndy@n2pub.com.

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