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Who was he before the sea stars showered him with immortal grace?

This is Jamal, the island superstar.

 The 18 year old San Pedrano footballer was destined for greatness. Scouted by football clubs from the States and throughout the Caribe Islands, he was touted, the Island Superstar.

As his single mother’s only son, he gave everything of himself for her. When he was on the field, he played for her. Off the field, he cared for her. Gave her every penny he earned—passed up life changing opportunities to ensure she lacked nothing. His sacrifices were a reflection of a bond that went beyond words—a testament to a son's unwavering love.

A group from Doctors Without Borders set up camp in pop-up tents in the parking lot of the stadium. Jamal dutifully took his mother for a check-up, and as she was triaged by a compassionate nurse, an imperious doctor pulled him aside. The doctor sat him on a sterile table behind a white curtain. Placing a gloved finger on a lesion under Jamal’s eye, in a dry, emotion-void tone, asked, “Is this affecting your vision?” It had been, but Jamal had never paid it any mind, as his priorities lay with his mother. The doctor collected a cell sample, and within weeks, Jamal was diagnosed with a rare, aggressive skin cancer. He was given a year.

On a desolate night, he lay motionless in bed. The tide surged relentlessly. Sea spray from the tempestuous waves left a salty residue on the windows of their dilapidated beachfront shanty. His body had been robbed of all strength. His mother lay by his side on a makeshift cot near the window and curled her fingers around his frail hands. She would have to close the storm shutters, but wanted her son to see the sky one last time. His breath waned and the clouds began to part, revealing a diamond studded sky and in Jamal’s final, fleeting moment his mother gently kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear, “you’re my star.”

…and in a new form, in a new light, he was given an opportunity to exist within a different set of rules. 

From beyond the heavens

in a diamond studded sky

illuminating night

offsetting dark with light

reflecting into the depths

where constellations

form on the seafloor

and refract into infinity

illuminating

the cosmos with 

celestial grace…

…never forget that

you’re a star.