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"My perfect, chatty little boy was on his way. Little did we know that three weeks of high fever would strip away his words, his eye contact, his recognition of his baby brother - everything that made him 'him.' The doctors missed it. I knew something was catastrophically wrong, but no one would listen. By the time we got answers, my verbal, milestone-hitting toddler had vanished into silence. But in that silence, we discovered that love truly needs no words."

In this deeply moving episode of The Grit Reapers, we sit down with Jacqui Miller, author of "Hey Jude," who shares her heart-wrenching yet inspiring journey of raising a son with severe apraxia while simultaneously caring for her mother with early-onset Alzheimer's. Jacqui’s story reveals the devastating moment when a seemingly simple childhood illness changed their family forever.

What You'll Hear:

🩷 The terrifying three weeks when doctors dismissed a mother's instinct that something was desperately wrong

🩷 How Jacqui fought through the medical system to get answers for her non-verbal son

🩷 The life-changing discovery of Touch Chat technology that became Jude's voice

🩷 Managing the heartbreak of losing two relationships to illness - her son's speech and her mother's memory

🩷 The brutal honesty about how special needs parenting tests even the strongest marriages

🩷 How Jacqui  and her husband Wayne created complementary roles instead of competing expectations

🩷 The unexpected friendship between her son Jude and her mother with Alzheimer's - two minds that didn't judge each other

Jacqui’s story demonstrates how a crisis can reveal not just what we're capable of surviving, but how we can find purpose and meaning in the most unexpected places.

Whether you're navigating your own family crisis, advocating for a loved one in the medical system, or simply need a reminder of the extraordinary strength that lives within ordinary people, this episode is a reminder about resilience, unconditional love, and the power of refusing to give up on the people we cherish most.

More About - Jacqui Miller

Wife to the most incredible man, proud “soccer mama” to a vibrant 10-year-old, and devoted, not-so-typical mama to Jude - my amazing 12-year-old son with special needs who is non-speaking but speaks volumes in love and strength. Born and raised in Johannesburg, I’m a true people pleaser at heart - deeply caring, fiercely loyal, and someone who loves with everything I have.

IG: hey_jude2013

www.thegritreapers.com