Over before it really began
Though Jade was always optimistic, she carried the weight of the past and a lot of pain with her. She was fun, bubbly and goofy and loved being around people. She always tried to shake off difficulty saying, “I feel like it’s going to be fine.”
She loved playing with her kids Lyric and Jaeden, getting tattoos and watching comedy shows on YouTube, often sitting by herself laughing over them. She was a great cook and every month she would make her roommate, Natashia, a cheese ball because they both loved them. Jade liked to be busy and decided one day to pressure wash the house for fun. Natashia said, “It cracked me up so much fighting with her over a power washer. She was so happy to have a project to do where she felt she was accomplishing something; she loved to feel like she was contributing.”
“When we lost Jade, I realized how much joy she brought to our home, and how much she was tuned into my feelings,” her roommate said. ‘I didn’t realize what a profound impact her friendship had on me. Often when you love someone with a substance use disorder, you think you are the one doing the giving. She gave me so much and I never saw it.”
In October 2019, Jade completed her intensive outpatient program and had a stable job in the cafeteria at a local hospital. She had joined family treatment court and was passionate about doing what was needed to regain custody of her baby. Unfortunately, that never happened as she passed away just two months later.
Natashia said, “Now I want to slow down and love people more. I wish she knew I was only hard on her because I loved her so much.” ‘Jade was family to us; my kids are so deeply affected by her death. She shared living space with us and meant so much in our lives. Just to see her gorgeous smile again would be everything.’
Jade’s roommate, Natashia Rapp, provided the information for this narrative.
July 5, 1989-December 14, 2019
Age 30-Lived with addiction 10 years
