Scholarship LSU, Scholarship Heart Transplant Jacob
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| Subj: hey Date: 2/4/99 AM Central Standard Time From: Broken831(Jacob's Screen Name then) To: MBanks9999(Our screen name then) CC: Broken831 Dear Mom, Dad, & Matt, I have a hard time saying what I mean in person so I figured I'd write it down. Isn't this information age/E-mail thing cool? Anyway, I just wanted to tell you all that I appreciate your being there for me over the years. I really could not have asked for a better, more loving family, Sure, we've all made mistakes, but we are all new to this game...there is no trial round before you are shot out into life. No one ever guaranteed that life was going to be easy, nor did they guarantee that we wouldn't all have our share of heartaches and blessings. My greatest blessing is the family I was raised in. Dad, I understand that your main concern is for my salvation, and rest assured that I will see you again in heaven. I might be a little bit jaded because of all that life has dealt me, but that doesn't mean that there is no grace in my life. I thank God for every day I have and will have until it is over. Life hasn't exactly treated me with the ease and comfort that some people have. It is hard to stay focused on God when everything around you is falling apart, but trust me, in the end I have decided to live my life for the Lord. Maybe my idea of being a Christian differs from yours, but Jesus said "If a man believes in his heart and confesses with his mouth, he is saved." A lot of my animosity toward religion comes because I'm young, and inexperienced. I'm just an angry young man trying to make do with what life has dealt him. But I never fell away from God's calling on my life. You can ask anyone who knows me, and they will tell you that I am the most generous person they know. And not because I'm trying to gain "brownie points" with God, but because it makes me feel good in my spirit to help someone else out. It makes me feel good to feel their hurt and try to be empathetic. We have that in common. Mom, I know you're scared of what is coming up for me, and I am probably more scared than you will ever be. Although I may not show it, I am very afraid of the future. I don't want to leave you and the great family I have. I remember sitting up till 3 AM with you, and thinking I was so big because I was sitting up with my mom watching TV till all hours of the morning. That made me feel so good. We were best friends at one point in life, I would love to get back to that point with you. I love you mom. Matt, where do I start? You are my brother, and we share the bond that only brothers share. I know I'm hard on you sometimes, but that's just because of two things. First being because I've made plenty of mistakes in my life, and I want you to learn from them. Secondly because I am jealous of you and always have been. You were born with a perfect body, and a very intelligent mind. I never will be able to do the things that you do. Someday soon, I hope to be able to go work out with you and hang out with you. We've been through a lot together and we have a lot more to go through. Just remember as we face this new challenge that I love you all, and I am more than grateful for all the love and help you have given me throughout my 20 years. Your loving, grateful son, Jacob Click pictures to enlarge: |
| Jacob Ryan Bankston was born on August 31, 1978 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Jacob was the second child of Linda and Joel Bankston. Just four weeks after Jacob was born, Linda and Joel found out from a routine check-up that he had a heart problem. As a child, Jacob enjoyed riding bikes, learning, fishing and just having fun with his mom, dad and friends he made at school and in his neighborhood. At five and one half years old, Jacob had his first open heart surgery. Just a few weeks after this surgery, Jacob was back to himself and entered first grade at Victory Bible Fellowship. Jacob excelled in school and began second grade at Parkview Baptist School in Baton Rouge. Jacob continued to do well physically and academically. |
| Jacob’s sixth grade was his first year in the public school system. He entered the gifted program at Sherwood Middle School in Baton Rouge where he enjoyed being part of the “Beta Club”, “Youth in Legislature” and “Quiz Bowl” team. Jacob made many friends in middle school from all his academic and social ventures. Many of the friends he made in middle school were friends throughout his college years. One of Jacob's best friends was his mom. He loved to spend late summer nights reading and watching television with her. One of their favorite shows was “Jeopardy”. Jacob also learned to drive his first 280Z car when he was thirteen. Jacob loved to travel and went with his dad on a business trip to New Jersey and New York in 1991. He was in the eighth grade then. Six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve, and thirteen years old, the prime of Jacob’s short life. In the summer of 1992, Jacob began to become short of breath. The brave little boy, who at six years old had open-heart surgery, where they replaced his natural heart valve with a stainless steel mitral valve, was becoming a young man out growing the valve sewn in years earlier. Although out of breath, Jacob still loved playing hide and seek , football and making movies with neighborhood friends. Many times he would run and then just sit. After catching his breath, he would take off again shouting and playing. He also loved to dress formally for dates to movies and proms. He was always such a gentleman. Jacob dreamed of being a doctor, a writer, a counselor , husband and father. The next few years of Jacob’s life became a real struggle. In October of 1992, just six weeks after Jacob had entered high school at Christian Life Academy, Jacob had a second open-heart surgery. Unlike the first surgery where in just a few weeks Jacob was up and running, this surgery caused a very traumatic brain injury. Needless to say, Jacob did’t return to school in the ninth grade, but rather spent several months at TIRR, a rehabilitation hospital in Houston, Texas. After leaving the Houston hospital, Jacob received at-home therapies as well as being home- schooled at home in Baton Rouge. Jacob’s grandfather, Eldridge Durbin, helped get him to out-of-home therapies. In just one short year of this life changing injury, Jacob entered the tenth grade at Christian Life Academy. Miraculously, Jacob drove himself to school in his 300 Z car. Jacob finished high school, receiving many honors and graduated seventh in his class. This achievement did’t come easy though. In September of 1995 Jacob began a wait. Still hurting inside from the losses from the surgery in 1992, Jacob learned that he needed a heart transplant. Bewildered, but not stopped, Jacob decided he must continue to achieve. After high school, Jacob was accepted at Louisiana State University (LSU). He began with the desire to be a Journalist. Jacob also worked as a system computer programmer for a company that booked hotel reservations. Jacob would struggle across campus never letting his peers know anything was wrong. He was a master at disguising his sickness. In April of 1998, Jacob had a defibrillator implanted in his chest, was on nearly ten medications and continued to try to go to school and work. Late in 1998, Jacob became very short of breath and in February of 1999, Jacob, his mom and his dad moved to Houston, Texas to begin a fourteen month wait for a heart transplant. Jacob left friends, his girl friend and fiancé, Valerie Thompson, and peers as they went on with life, hoping to join them in just a few short months with a new heart. Jacob encouraged himself with visions of being able to work out, have new stamina and run with the best of them. At the very beginning of the wait in Houston, Jacob was on a continuous drip of medication that enabled him to stay in an apartment rather than in the hospital. This with other medications kept Jacob going. Finally, on April 27, 2000, when Jacob was in the Texas Children's Hospital for a two-day check up, he received a visit from the St. Lukes Hospital heart transplant coordinator. They had found a new heart for Jacob. Jacob’s mom was with him in Houston, but his dad and his brother were in Baton Rouge. Jimmy Reno, a friend, flew Joel and Matt to Houston, taking off from the Baton Rouge airport at 12:00 midnight. Joel and Matt arrived at the hospital shortly before 2:00 A.M., just minutes before he was leaving for surgery. His mom expressed just how scared Jacob was as he was being prepared for the heart transplant surgery. On April 28, 2000, Jacob received the heart transplant. This was the first of fourteen surgeries in the one hundred seventy-two days that followed. Jacob received transfusions of many different blood products and had hundreds of procedures during this short time. Jacob, his mom and his dad always believed Jacob could make it though. Jacob endured all these procedures, surgeries and transfusions with such courage, faith and hope. Through all this, Jacob’s faith encouraged many who learned of his struggle from friends and family and the ExxonMobil prayer network emails. So many who saw and heard of Jacob, engaged in prayer and support for Jacob and his family. Many of those that prayed for and encouraged Jacob needed a way of expressing their love for Jacob and his family. They encouraged Jacob’s family to establish the Jacob Ryan Bankston Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund. Jacob’s family in memory of Jacob’s ambitions and the many struggles with his heart condition, would like LSU to award the Jacob Ryan Bankston Memorial Endowed Scholarship to people who have had a hard time achieving their academic goals because of physical handicaps, but who have overcome the obstacles in life and want and still wish to earn their undergraduate degrees. |
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call or text 713-858-2626 any time. email: Joelwbankston@aol.com email: Lindadbanks@aol.com |
| This is Jacob's letter which was written by him to his mom, dad, and brother, Matt, after he learned that he transplant. Jacob was a second year student at LSU when he moved from Baton Rouge to Houston to await his heart transplant. Jacob received the transplant April 28, 2000. Jacob stayed in the St. Luke's Hospital ICU 172 days and went through 14 surgeries during that time. Unfortunately, for all of us, Jacob passed away on October 16, 2000 after humoral rejection. We believe we will see Jacob again in heaven. This is our hope. |
| LSU Jacob R. Bankston Scholarship The Jacob R. Bankston Memorial Endowed Scholarship was established at Louisiana State University at Baton Rouge, Louisiana for East Baton Rouge public and private schools and surrounding parishes graduates as a permanent memorial to a beloved son, brother and friend whose memory is forever on our hearts… Joel W. Bankston, father Linda Durbin Bankston, mother Matthew Tyler Bankston, brother Lacey Nichole Bankston, sister. |
| Jacob Ryan Bankston August 31, 1978 - October 16, 2000 |
