Read and listen to a story about Jamie Holmes as part of a series honoring the individuals who make a difference in people’s lives: 90.5 WESA Celebrates People Making a Difference.
Can you imagine spending your entire life in and out of hospitals, having to go through 45 major operations by the time you’re only 26 years old?
That’s been Jamie's life since the day she was born with a rare disorder, VATAR Syndrome.
“When she was born, she was born with all of these abnormalities” recalls her mom, Kimberly. “Her throat and esophagus were connected as one, that had to be separated, and she didn’t have a rectum. The kidney disintegrated in her body, so there is just one kidney that she has. They said Jamie would never walk or talk, and that if Jamie ever lived, she would be pretty much useless as a person.”
Jamie survived — and thrived — and although she averages two major operations a year, she has devoted her young life to helping others suffering from serious medical trauma.
