TRIBUTE TO MARCUS SOLOMON JONES

There is something inherently unnatural and unfair when parents lose a child. The natural order is for the child to mourn the loss of a parent, not vice versa. It is even more unjust when that child was born with disabilities and has worked to prevail against the odds stacked against him.

The Duchy of DelBasid has lost a much-loved citizen. Marcus Solomon Jones would have celebrated his eight birthday today. Marcus is the son of dear friends, Carlton and Carmen Jones. Marcus was the miracle baby who survived many difficulties – a cleft lip and palate, a narrow trachea, an unclosed heart valve, and mal rotated stomach and intestines. They didn’t know if Marcus would live, but he endured multiple surgeries and exceeded expectations every step of the way.

Marcus Solomon is the joy of his parents’ heart and lived up to his name. Marcus means “warrior” and Solomon means “peaceful,” and he battled to learn to walk, to communicate, and to participate. He had a placid disposition, except when he was teasing his younger sister, Natalie.

Because of his tracheostomy, Marcus was unable to speak, but he surely did have expressive eyes and face. He was learning sign language and had a computerized communication device. He made his feelings and wishes known. He was famous for mischievous sense of humor and charming personality. Once he learned to walk, he never did. He ran full-speed ahead, bouncing with energy and enthusiasm, while charging into life with unrestrained fervor. His parents never listened to the physicians’ expectations, but to their hearts, and Marcus surpassed the predictions and prognosis.

Marcus touched every person he encountered, beginning with the staff at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, grandparents, relatives, friends, neighbors, teachers, classmates, his homecare nurses, and strangers. You couldn’t meet him and not smile. His zest for life, his big brown eyes brimming with laughter, and that smile just captured your heart.

Sister Natalie wasn’t shy about speaking up for him and being his advocate, and sometimes his adversary. They had a typical sibling relationship. There is a big hole in her tender little heart for her big brother, as well as in her parents’ heart for their beloved son.

No one here on earth ever heard Marcus’ voice. He couldn’t cry loudly as an infant, babble as a toddler, or speak with a childish lisp. Yet his actions spoke volumes. He lived with a sense of purpose, was determined to do the best he could with the limitations placed upon him, loved without restrictions, and showed how strength can come from weakness.

The rest of us should do likewise in honor of his memory and as a testimony to his family’s love and dedication. Marcus was an organ donor so his body will provide life to those who otherwise wouldn’t have a good chance of living. I’d like to think that those receiving this precious gift of life from Marcus will also inherit some of his spirit. The world will be a better place because of it.