Jaaron’s Journey: A Story of Loss, Strength, and Unbreakable Love

On the evening of August 28, 2005, 14-year-old Jaaron Rhea sat in the back seat of his brother-in-law’s car, watching New Orleans fade into the distance. He was leaving behind the only home he had ever known, his city drowning in the chaos of an impending storm. With his two sisters and brother-in-law by his side, they headed toward Lafayette, where his older brother had promised them safety. But for Jaaron, there was no sense of security in that car ride—his heart was heavy with worry.

His mother and grandmother were still in New Orleans.

His mother had tried everything to get his grandmother, Bessie, down the stairs of their home, but Alzheimer’s had taken away her mobility, and they had no help. The storm was coming, and they had no choice but to stay. Jaaron had hugged his mother tightly before leaving, trying to be strong, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that something would go terribly wrong.

And it did.

The levees broke. The floodwaters rose. And Jaaron’s world shattered.

A Grandmother’s Final Rest

For two agonizing weeks, Bessie remained in their home, lifeless, while his mother, lost in the chaos of the city, struggled to find a way to lay her to rest. The Convention Center became her only refuge, but it was no sanctuary—there was no food, no water, only desperation. She had no idea where she would be sent, only that she had to keep moving forward.

Eventually, she was bussed to Fort Chaffee, Arkansas, but her heart wasn’t in Arkansas—it was with her children. With a strength that only a mother can summon, she found a way back to them in Lafayette. When she arrived, Jaaron ran to her, tears streaming down his face. There were no words for what they had lost, for what they had endured. But there was love. There was always love.

Starting Over in a Changed World

After losing his grandmother, his home, and everything familiar, Jaaron’s family returned to New Orleans, trying to rebuild their lives from the ashes. They lived with his sister and brother-in-law on the Westbank, piecing together a new existence in a city that no longer felt the same.

But life wasn’t done testing him.

Amid the emotional weight of loss and displacement, Jaaron faced a new challenge—he was diagnosed with diabetes. His world, once simple and carefree, now revolved around blood sugar levels, insulin, and a constant battle to manage a disease that would change the way he lived. It felt unfair. It felt like too much. But his mother, standing by his side, refused to let him drown in despair.

“You’re not alone, baby,” she told him, holding his hand. “Bessie’s still watching over us. She’s our angel now.”

Strength in Love

Jaaron had lost more than any child should ever have to bear, but through the heartbreak, he found resilience. He saw it in his mother, in the way she fought to keep their family together. He felt it in the spirit of his grandmother, in the memories of her laughter and warmth.

Starting over wasn’t easy. But Jaaron carried the love of the two strongest women he had ever known. And with that love, he knew he could face whatever came next.

Because even in the darkest storms, there is always light.