Hello! My name is Janyne, and I am a proud mother of two amazing children whose journeys with chronic illness have forever changed our lives. Their stories are filled with resilience, challenges, and hope, and they are the inspiration behind Beyond Belief.
Terique’s Story
My eldest child, Terique, was a healthy and active young man. As a child, doctor visits were rare, and he was always full of energy, constantly on the move and socializing with his peers. In 2014, he graduated from high school, and as a protective mom, I initially insisted he commute to Georgia State University. But by his sophomore year, I relented and allowed him to live in a campus apartment.
He was thriving, focused on his studies, and enjoying his independence—until December 5, 2015, when everything changed.
A few days prior, Terique had slipped and fallen, catching himself on the corner of a table. This left a small abrasion on his inner thigh. Initially, it didn’t seem serious. But two days later, he developed flu-like symptoms and became feverish. We rushed him to the hospital, and within hours, he became unresponsive. The doctors diagnosed him with sepsis, a life-threatening infection that had rapidly spread.
For four agonizing hours, the medical team worked to revive and stabilize him before he was life-flighted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. There, I was told the next 24 hours would determine if my son would live or die.
But Terique is a fighter.
He spent three weeks in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), undergoing countless tests and treatments. He had to relearn how to walk, restore kidney function, and manage a heart that now operates at only 57% capacity. Even today, he lives with chronic fatigue, frequent cardiology appointments, and ongoing treatments every three months. Yet, through it all, he’s gone on to live a productive and fulfilling adult life.
Kylie’s Story
Little did I know that I would face the same fear and anxiety again with my youngest child, Kylie.
On February 4, 2022, Kylie got her first period—or so we thought. We celebrated this milestone, shopping and marking the occasion as the beginning of her journey into womanhood. But the bleeding didn’t stop.
By April, after months of nonstop bleeding, we visited her pediatrician. Kylie was prescribed birth control to regulate her cycle, but nothing changed. Two weeks later, still bleeding, we returned to the pediatrician, who referred us to the only pediatric gynecologist in Georgia.
What followed was a series of multiple doctor visits, frustrations and heartbreaking challenges. It took weeks of persistent calls just to get Kylie an appointment, which was scheduled for 1.5 months later. During that time, Kylie had multiple ER visits. At one point, the gynecologist, without even seeing Kylie in person, instructed the ER doctor to perform a vaginal ultrasound on my 10-year-old daughter. I refused.
As Kylie’s condition worsened, she became severely anemic, developed infections, and started showing signs of severe depression. Yet, her doctors failed to prioritize her care, and I could no longer trust that her quality of life was being considered. After our second appointment with the pediatric gynecologist, I made the difficult decision to find another provider—even if it meant traveling out of state to get the answers we desperately needed.
Kylie was later diagnosed with a blood disorder. For 1.5 years, Kylie endured the bleeding, isolation, and emotional toll of her condition. It eventually led to a suicide attempt and her admission to the psychiatric ward at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. While there, I asked for emotional peer support resources for Kylie, only to be told that such a program didn’t exist.
In that moment, Beyond Belief was born.
I realized that if my daughter was struggling this much, surely there were other children out there in similar situations who also needed support. Kylie’s journey taught me that there is a desperate need for a safe space where children with chronic illnesses can find emotional support, encouragement, and understanding.
Thanks to the incredible care of Dr. Claudette Shephard in Memphis, Kylie was finally able to regain her health and quality of life. For the first time, she received the care she deserved, and she began to heal physically and emotionally. However, the fight for quality care in Georgia continues.
Our Mission
I can’t begin to describe the many sleepless nights filled with tears and the overwhelming loneliness I felt throughout these journeys. But through faith, the support of friends, and sheer determination, my family and I have endured.
Beyond Belief exists to ensure that no child or family feels alone in their fight against chronic illness.
Thank you for allowing me to share a part of our story.
REMEMBER: God will never give you more than you can bear. You’ve got this!
