In Loving Memory of Jaborris Simpson and Jhersi Rhyiana Simpson 2849c

It was September 22nd, a day that began like so many others for Valentine, a foreman for a roofing company in Lubbock, Texas, a man known for his steady work ethic, his dedication to his family, and his determination to provide through long hours of physical labor. But by the end of that day, his world—and his family’s world—was shattered when a ten-foot fall from a ladder left him with a broken back and the terrifying possibility of permanent paralysis.

The accident happened in an instant, a slip, a loss of balance, the kind of everyday risk that thousands of workers take across the country each day. Yet for Valentine, this single fall was not just an injury—it was a life-altering event that would carry him from the rooftop to the operating room, from providing for his family to fighting for the chance to walk again.

When paramedics rushed him to the hospital, the severity of his injuries quickly became clear. Doctors prepared Amy, his wife, for the possibility that Valentine might never walk again. The diagnosis was grim: the damage to his spine meant that paralysis from the waist down was not only possible, but likely if the surgery went wrong.

Amy, who has stood beside Valentine through every challenge of their marriage, now found herself facing the hardest trial of all—watching her husband wheeled into a four-hour surgery that would determine the future of their lives together.

“I am asking for every prayer possible to give us the strength and courage to face this,” Amy said, her voice breaking as she described the man she loves. “Valentine is a hard worker, always providing for his family, and now we need all of you to cover him in prayer.”

Her plea reflects more than fear—it reflects the love of a wife who knows how much her husband means not only to her, but to their children, their family, and their community, people who have seen him sacrifice, labor, and give selflessly so that others might have stability and comfort.

Inside the operating room, surgeons worked with painstaking care, navigating delicate nerves and fragile vertebrae, balancing on the razor’s edge between restoration and paralysis, their every decision carrying consequences that would ripple far beyond the hospital walls.

Outside, Amy waited in a haze of prayers and whispered hopes, her hands clasped tight, her heart torn between terror and faith. Every minute dragged like an eternity, the sterile ticking of the hospital clock echoing her fear that life as they knew it could change forever.

Valentine’s story is one that resonates deeply because it speaks to the fragility of everyday life, the way one misstep, one accident, can take a man from worker to patient, from provider to dependent, from standing tall to lying still.

But it is also a story of courage, because even in the face of such uncertainty, Valentine has shown resilience. His family says that even through his pain, he has remained focused on his determination to recover, to fight for mobility, to one day stand and walk again.

For Amy, the road ahead is as daunting as it is uncertain. She knows the challenges that recovery will bring: weeks, perhaps months, of rehabilitation, physical therapy, and adjustments that will test not only Valentine’s body but also their family’s strength. Yet she also knows they are not alone, that their story has already touched countless hearts.

The community has begun to rally, offering words of encouragement, organizing prayers, and showing that when tragedy strikes, love and compassion can become lifelines that carry families through the darkest nights.

Work colleagues describe Valentine as the kind of man who never hesitated to step in, who carried more than his share, who worked under blazing sun and bitter cold alike to ensure the job was done. Friends describe him as loyal, humble, and steady, a man whose character is defined not by words but by action.

That is why his fall feels so devastating—not because it erased those qualities, but because it threatens to silence the very way he has always lived them out. Yet those who love him refuse to accept that his story ends in tragedy. They believe, as Amy believes, that prayer and perseverance can write a new chapter.

As the surgery continues, as the doctors do their work, as Amy waits in the balance, the call for support grows louder. It is a call not just for sympathy but for solidarity, for people to come together and believe in the possibility of healing, to lift Valentine and his family in prayer, and to remind them that they are not alone in this fight.

Because the truth is, accidents like this do not only affect one man; they ripple outward, touching his wife, his children, his extended family, his colleagues, and his community, leaving all of them to share in the burden of recovery, but also in the possibility of redemption.

Valentine’s journey is only beginning, and it will not be easy. He will face pain, frustration, setbacks, and days when hope feels distant. But with the love of his family, the skill of his doctors, and the prayers of all who know his story, there remains the chance that what was lost in one terrible fall may be, at least in part, restored.

And even if his recovery is long and incomplete, his story will still be one of courage, of a man who faced the unthinkable and fought to stand again, of a wife who refused to give up, and of a community that chose to believe in the power of hope.

So tonight, as Valentine fights for his future in a hospital operating room, let us all rally behind him. Let us pray not only for successful surgery but for healing, for strength, for comfort, and for the grace that will carry this family through whatever lies ahead.