A special prom will take place Friday night for a 14-year-old girl — who will not make the prom years from now with her classmates — because she has made the decision to end her life.
Jerika Bolen, of Appleton, Wis., suffers from spinal muscular atrophy Type 2 which causes constant pain and the inability to use her muscles. She made the decision to die, reports local ABC-2, and prom preparations were underway this week for Friday’s celebration.
“When pain is too much, it’s too much,” Bolen told ABC-2. “I need to do what’s best for me. It was a really hard decision to make.”
After her prom, Bolen will enter hospice and no longer use the ventilator that allows her to breathe.
A Facebook page entitled J’s Last Dance was created and shows 249 people plan to attend the event.
“Jerika requests your presence in your “fancy” attire for a night to remember. We will have pizza, cake/cupcakes and hors d’oeuvres as well as a Candy/Glo Bar and open bar for kids and friends of all ages,” the Facebook page reads.
A GoFundMe page was created by Jerika’s mother, Jen Bolen, to give her daughter her last wishes that included a visit to see her friends suffering from SMA and her prom.
“She has let me know now that she needs to be free of her broken body. She has a couple last wishes that I would love your help with. She wants a to have a ‘prom’…one night of music and dancing and fun. She wants a disco ball and black and lime green decor and to be surrounded by lots of friends she has been unable to see for a long time,” Jen wrote.
“After that she will come home and begin her journey to heaven,” her mother wrote.
“I will be forever humbled by your support through the years for us and I would be forever grateful for any help you could give me with the end of our journey together and many prayers of strength to make the coming days as pleasant and magical as possible!” Jen wrote.