Jeremy Adams
"Monrovia karate instructor succumbs to kidney disease"- Was the title of a newspaper article that was on my desk last Wednesday. I couldn't stay standing to read it, I had to go sit in the corner.
"He should have died in a plane crash at 16 months old. He shouldn't have lived past the age of 5. He shouldn't have been able to live a fully functional life without kidneys.
But he did."
Adams died peacefully in his sleep March 20th, his heart finally failing him after 32 years of hard work."
"The doctors said his heart was just tired"...
He was no more than a little over 5 feet tall, and 96 pounds. He had second-stage renal disease, and no kidneys. I never knew there was anything wrong with him, until I read his obituary. He was the first person to welcome me into the black belt division of the tournaments when I was 15 years old. He talked to me and laughed with me at every tournament. He showed me the meaning of determination against overwhelming odds.
The rest of last week I did what Jeremy would have wanted me to do: Prepare for the tournament, and go win. I did that. I won weapons grand champion, I did my job.
He was the most geuinely nice, and honest person I've ever met. He had more heart than anyone I've ever known. Now I'm going to rest, and remember my friend.
"The memory those close to Adams take with them is his bright smile."
"He should have died in a plane crash at 16 months old. He shouldn't have lived past the age of 5. He shouldn't have been able to live a fully functional life without kidneys.
But he did."
Adams died peacefully in his sleep March 20th, his heart finally failing him after 32 years of hard work."
"The doctors said his heart was just tired"...
He was no more than a little over 5 feet tall, and 96 pounds. He had second-stage renal disease, and no kidneys. I never knew there was anything wrong with him, until I read his obituary. He was the first person to welcome me into the black belt division of the tournaments when I was 15 years old. He talked to me and laughed with me at every tournament. He showed me the meaning of determination against overwhelming odds.
The rest of last week I did what Jeremy would have wanted me to do: Prepare for the tournament, and go win. I did that. I won weapons grand champion, I did my job.
He was the most geuinely nice, and honest person I've ever met. He had more heart than anyone I've ever known. Now I'm going to rest, and remember my friend.
"The memory those close to Adams take with them is his bright smile."