Jacob’s Story: The Profound Impact of Love

In 1981, a little boy was born several weeks early, enduring a broken clavicle during the birthing process. His young parents, both just 22, soon came to see that the early birth was a blessing. Little Jacob Grein was born with a grapefruit-sized cyst on his kidney, and had he not been born early, he would have died. But that was only the beginning of his health problems, many of which resulted in lifelong disabilities.

This is a story, not of lament or sorrow, but of Jacob’s remarkable journey and of the impact that he had not just on his family but on his entire community.

An early birth

Mary Sue Grein had had a normal pregnancy until the day she went into early labor. She and her husband, Ken, had excitedly awaited the day when they would bring their first child into the world. They just never anticipated that the baby would come about a month early.

Jacob Grein was born weighing 5 lbs. 12 oz. Immediately after his birth, doctors whisked him away for testing. They returned soon after, saying they would have to take him to the nearest children’s hospital to have the cyst on his left kidney removed.

Surgeons successfully removed the cyst, but little Jacob’s body could not handle the trauma. Two nights after he was born, he suffered seven heart attacks, his lungs collapsed, and his kidneys began to fail. Doctors performed two blood transfusions. He was near death.

A week later, one of the doctors approached Ken and Mary Sue and said that their son would likely not live long and would be severely disabled. “Would you like to just let him pass?” he asked. The doctor advocated for “letting him go” and told the parents they could start over and have another baby.

Ken and Mary Sue, both extremely strong in their Christian faith, said no. Mary Sue said, “We’ll love him just the way he is.” And so they told the doctors to fight for him.

They explained that they then surrendered Jacob to God. They lifted up their hands in supplication and prayed for their tiny baby, asking God to protect him and putting their trust in His goodness.

137 long days

The hospital did adhere to Ken and Mary Sue’s wishes and worked hard to save Jacob’s life.

Mary Sue quit her job to stay in the ICU with Jacob, who was certainly fighting an uphill battle. Doctors were unsure if he would live, and he faced numerous medical complications and health setbacks, including the fact that he had cerebral palsy because of the heart attacks.

As time went on, his health began to improve. His blood pressure stabilized, his heart was improving, and his lungs were healing. Mary Sue said that everyone in the NICU called him The Miracle Baby.

But, unbeknownst to them, the kidney that had had the cyst on it was poisoning Jacob’s body. He was battling an infection that required a strong antibiotic. Tragically, this antibiotic had a terrible side effect. While it cleared up the infection, it destroyed Jacob’s hearing, and he was rendered deaf.

Eventually, doctors removed his kidney, and Jacob improved enough to be sent home. It had been 137 days.

Growing up

Over the next 12 years, Jacob was in and out of the hospital, having various surgeries related to cerebral palsy and some vision problems. He was hearing impaired, walked with a walker, and continued to have kidney problems, which culminated in a successful transplant when he was 14.

Through it all, Jacob went to school, made friends, and loved socializing with everyone. In his school’s disability services program, he met a group of friends who stayed together from kindergarten through high school graduation. Mary Sue explained that many of the kids were hearing impaired, and some had physical disabilities, but Jacob was the most severely disabled. Yet that didn’t stop him from making connections with others and socializing with peers. She said that the kids all loved him and he loved them.

Jacob used only a bit of sign language. Instead, he communicated through gestures and had a remarkable ability to connect with people of all ages. Ken said he wasn’t afraid to touch and hug or laugh with others. And he cried with those he knew were sad. He was known for taking Kleenex to his friends and then sitting and patting them on their backs while they cried.

During these years, the couple had three more children, and the family of six thrived on the love that blossomed within the walls of their home.

As Mary Sue thought back about their life with Jacob, she said that it was his profound love for everyone, including God, that changed their lives and taught them the true meaning of love.

Jacob eventually graduated from high school and began to work at Goodwill Industries in a program for people with disabilities. There, he met an amazing group of people who had similar disabilities, and he fit right in. In fact, he fit in so well and made such an impact that he won the Power of Work Award in 2010, which recognized how he regularly inspired those around him.

Ken explained, “What he was able to do and how he could cross over this language barrier and all these things he had going against him, he had connections with people that were deep.”

“He’s leaping!”

February 21, 2019, began just like many days before it. Ken took Jacob, now 37, to the doctor, and on the way out of the house, Jacob gave Mary Sue a wonderfully sloppy kiss.

All went well at the doctor’s appointment, but as they were about to pull out of the parking lot, Jacob became distressed, started making noises, and slumped over. Ken immediately called an ambulance and got the attention of the doctor.

They tried CPR but couldn’t revive Jacob. Nor could the doctors in the ER. They think Jacob died of a heart attack.

But then something incredible happened. Ken and Mary Sue’s other children and grandchildren began arriving at the hospital and tearfully embraced. She explained that her five-year-old granddaughter was sobbing and then abruptly stopped and exclaimed, “He’s leaping!”

Mary Sue said this happened three times, and at one point, the little girl expounded and said, “I see Uncle Jacob in heaven and he’s running and he’s leaping!’”

An outpouring of love

Over 400 people attended Jacob’s funeral service, most of whom Mary Sue and Ken didn’t even know. They found that Jacob had touched people everywhere he went. Ken explained that the service was three hours long and people didn’t want to leave, so they stayed talking and telling stories of Jacob for another three hours! Ken said that he and Mary Sue ended up ministering to the people there instead of the other way around.

Looking back on life with Jacob, Ken stated, “He was a beautiful example of what a godly person is supposed to act like. . . . We are not the same people today that we would have been if he hadn’t been in our lives. . . . We learned so much.”

Ken and Mary Sue want the world to see the value of people with disabilities, so they recently wrote a book about their son’s life entitled Jacob’s Story. And while they wish to illustrate the impact Jacob had on the world, they explain that they wrote the book hoping that people will come to know God and will realize that He offers hope through all of life’s difficult circumstances.

Ken said he also wants people to know the immense value of any child, even if he may have a disability. He said, “When doctors tell parents to let their child die, they have another option. . . . They can choose life and choose love because it’s worth it.”

Jacob Grein led a beautiful life, and he perfectly illustrates the fact that every single person, regardless of ability, has dignity and value. This is a lesson the Greins hope to impart, for as they said, “His story continues after his death.”

It continues because of those he loved and because of those who loved him.

• Learn more about this incredible family at jacobalifeworthliving.com.