Jacquelyn Marie Helton was a young American mother and wife, who touched millions of hearts all over the world, with her love and courage to face death, even though she was just a 20 year old girl. After having her own baby girl, in 1969, Jackie received a diagnosis of osteogenic sarcoma. She was living with her husband and her little baby in a small town in Wyoming, but the family had to move Denver, CO, so Jackie could receive medical care at the Children's Hospital there. She discovered her illness was fatal, and agreed to take part in a medical research program, recording and writing her thoughts about having a baby while knowing she was dying. One morning, according to a newspaper account, while she was washing dishes in her apartment, a small boy entered her kitchen and took her tape recorder. She couldn't do anything because she was on crutches. An announcement was sent to the newspapers, asking for the return of her tapes. That's how her name and story came to be known by many people. Even famous people such as Patricia Nixon, Frank Sinatra, and John Denver were touched by Jackie's story. She received another tape recorder so she could continue making her recordings. In early November 1971, she was too weak to stay home any longer. She was taken to Denver Children's Hospital, and passed away after a week there, on November 7th. After her death, on November 10th, her husband Tom honored her last wishes and played her favorite song, "Take Me Home,Country Roads", by John Denver, at her funeral. He also scattered her ashes over her beloved Rocky Mountains. After that, the novelist Norma Klein released a book, based on Jackie's journals and the 1973 TV movie "Sunshine", directed by Joseph Sargent. Movie's soundtrack has songs by John Denver, like "Sunshine on My Shoulders", "My Sweet Lady", "Take Me Home, Country Roads", and "Goodbye Again". There have been sequels to the original movie made in subsequent years. People all over the world were touched by Jackie's courage and strength to face pain and death, and also by her love for her daughter. Jackie taught everyone a different way to live with joy, even though death was coming quickly to take her away. She is an example for many souls, and deserves to be forever remembered and loved by all of us.
Jacquelyn Marie Helton was a young American mother and wife, who touched millions of hearts all over the world, with her love and courage to face death, even though she was just a 20 year old girl. After having her own baby girl, in 1969, Jackie received a diagnosis of osteogenic sarcoma. She was living with her husband and her little baby in a small town in Wyoming, but the family had to move Denver, CO, so Jackie could receive medical care at the Children's Hospital there. She discovered her illness was fatal, and agreed to take part in a medical research program, recording and writing her thoughts about having a baby while knowing she was dying. One morning, according to a newspaper account, while she was washing dishes in her apartment, a small boy entered her kitchen and took her tape recorder. She couldn't do anything because she was on crutches. An announcement was sent to the newspapers, asking for the return of her tapes. That's how her name and story came to be known by many people. Even famous people such as Patricia Nixon, Frank Sinatra, and John Denver were touched by Jackie's story. She received another tape recorder so she could continue making her recordings. In early November 1971, she was too weak to stay home any longer. She was taken to Denver Children's Hospital, and passed away after a week there, on November 7th. After her death, on November 10th, her husband Tom honored her last wishes and played her favorite song, "Take Me Home,Country Roads", by John Denver, at her funeral. He also scattered her ashes over her beloved Rocky Mountains. After that, the novelist Norma Klein released a book, based on Jackie's journals and the 1973 TV movie "Sunshine", directed by Joseph Sargent. Movie's soundtrack has songs by John Denver, like "Sunshine on My Shoulders", "My Sweet Lady", "Take Me Home, Country Roads", and "Goodbye Again". There have been sequels to the original movie made in subsequent years. People all over the world were touched by Jackie's courage and strength to face pain and death, and also by her love for her daughter. Jackie taught everyone a different way to live with joy, even though death was coming quickly to take her away. She is an example for many souls, and deserves to be forever remembered and loved by all of us.
