The Beginning

I always say I became a mother at the age of 9 when my late nephew Mekail Evans was born, October 19, 1996. My sister and I are ten years apart and she had her first child when I was nine. My nephew and I grew up together he was my nephew, but more like my first child and brother all in one. He looked up to me in many ways I did not understand until I was older and would reminisce on a lot of things he would say and do. As a toddler he could not say my name, but he knew what is was and that I was his aunt so he would call me Mylita. He was the most caring, wrestling/basketball/football loving and mild mannered child ever! Everyone loved him and wanted to be around him. As he began to mature and get older he became a beast on the football field. 

On The Field 

Mekail’s favorite professional football player was Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens. At one point Mekail’s jersey number was 52 and he later switched to 30. Mr. Lewis was such a role model to Mekail that he had his mother put a Fathead poster of Ray on his wall after their house was reconstructed from tornado damage in 2012. On the field Mekail was known as MackTruck due to his powerful hits. As his role model Mekail also played linebacker and would definitely punish anyone in his path. During games when Mekail made a tackle the announcer would say, “#30 Mekail MackTruck Evans on the tackle”. I attended every game from little league to high school when I was home and not away in college. I would still make efforts to come home to see him play when I could. Like I said that was like my son, brother and of course he was my nephew. 

On Monday, April 14, 2014 my nephew had come home early from school due to not feeling well stating his stomach was hurting really bad. I called to check on him several times during the day and by the afternoon he was calling me telling me he felt better and asked me to bring him something to eat. He stated he wanted a sack-full of all things from Krystals ☺. Of course he knew I would bring it to him and that I did. The next day April 15 he went to school per usual and felt fine all day. I called and spoke with him on his way home from the YMCA about 9 pm where he had been playing pickup basketball as he would do several times a week. He said he was feeling good. He went home washed dishes for his mom and got in the shower. 

The Call 

Around 10:15 pm on Tuesday, April 15, 2014 I got the worst call of my life. It was a call from my sister saying my nephew was on the ground in the bathroom and she could not get him up or tell if he was breathing. At the time I was a RN working dayshift and was also in nurse practitioner school with one year left. I jumped up put the first thing on I could find and jetted out of my house headed to Pinson, AL which is about 45 minutes from my house although still in the same metropolitan city of Birmingham, AL. As I am attempting to get to my sister’s house going 110 mph and hazards flashing she calls again and says don’t come here go to St. Vincent’s East Hospital that is where they are taking him. I rush to the hospital only to find that my nephew had not made it there….how did I beat the ambulance? Needless to say I was furious. My sister and niece who was 14 at the time finally made it. They placed us in a family room off from the emergency department and told us to wait there. An hour or so passed and in walks a doctor with an update. “I’m sorry, but we did everything we could do and he did not make it”. WTH!!!! It was on that day that my life changed forever. My nephew, son and brother had departed this life at the age of 17. 

The Autopsy 

The autopsy report was finally released. The final cause of death was an enlarged heart that led to cardiac arrest also known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. This form of heart disease often goes undiagnosed as a person may not display any symptoms. It is the number one inherited form of heart disease and makes it hard for the heart to pump blood. If symptoms are displayed that can be vague such as shortness of breath or chest pain. Abnormal heart rhythms also known as arrhythmias are another symptom, but typically only diagnosed with a heart monitor or EKG. After finding out this information we found that this was inherited from his father’s side of the family. If we would’ve known is there anything we could have done, possibly. Would he still be here with us today? The questions linger in mind. Two things I now always try to do….know as much family history as possible from both sides (paternal and maternal) and if/when my child decides to enter into sports make sure he feels comfortable in telling me anything that he may be feeling. So many kids are taught to push through, suck it up and not be weak. This is true, but only to a certain degree. My sister and Mekail’s pediatrician did everything they were supposed to do to ensure a healthy, strong and growing boy. 

Hope

As I stated earlier I was due to graduate from nurse practitioner school in April of 2015 and Mekail was set to graduate from high school in May of 2015. We had already started planning having a joint graduation party and all. Well after everything happened it shook me to my core. I decided to give up school. It was all too much for me to bear. If it was not for my support system and my advisor at the time I would not have finished school. I made up in my mind that I had to walk across the stage for the both of us. He was my strength, courage and perseverance to get through that last year of school. On April 25, 2015 I graduated from NP school with my nephew right beside me. His pin was displayed on the left side of my chest right over my heart!  As a family we visit his gravesite and decorate it at least three times a year. Death anniversary, birthday and Christmas. We talk with him, share memories and take pictures to commemorate the time together. Mekail will forever be with me in spirit and in my heart until we meet again….. 

Jolisa Watson