08/27/2026
The best comeback story yet 💪
141 days. 3,384 hours. 203,040 minutes.
◉‿-This is a long one, friends. But 141 days ago, I wasn't sure I'd ever get to write it. So stay with me. ❤️
There was a time when I wasn't sure my son was going to survive.
And now I get to watch him prepare for the arrival of his son.
In less than three weeks, Damen James will come into the world.💙👶
If you know our story, you know that HOPE was once a word I built so much of my life around.
And then there was a time when I couldn't find much of it at all.
Jimmy's comeback has been one of the most incredible things I've ever had the privilege of witnessing.
Early recovery does not make life magically easy. In a lot of ways, it makes you face everything you've spent years running from—all at once. And Jimmy has had obstacle after obstacle put in front of him.
He needed to get to work without transportation, so he got on a bike and rode to and from work. Day after day. Month after month. Hot days, rainy days, whatever the day brought.
He's worked. He's paid his rent in recovery housing. He's taken responsibility for himself. He's kept showing up. And he has been reunited with his daughter.
And he's done it without expecting anyone to rescue him.
Now he's making another move forward. He's pursuing better work because he wants to be able to save money and provide for his family.
He's not just talking about the kind of father he wants to be.
He's making a plan to be that father.
Jimmy and Michelle are also making some decisions that may not look conventional from the outside, but make perfect sense for where they are right now.
They will be maintaining separate living environments because protecting their individual sobriety has to remain a priority—for themselves and for Damen James.
That means Damen James needs to have what he needs in both places.
Jimmy will be spending time with Damen James here with us, so we need to have everything here that Jimmy needs to safely and comfortably care for his son.
And this is the part I've been dragging my feet about.
I've been pretty absent from Facebook lately. Life has been incredibly busy, and I haven't stayed connected with all of you the way I normally would. So I've felt some type of way about disappearing for a while and then suddenly showing back up with an ask.
But the truth is, Damen James doesn't care that Nana has been terrible at Facebook lately. 😂
So I'm doing the uncomfortable thing, and I'm asking.
I put together a baby registry specifically for our home, for Jimmy and his baby. There are inexpensive everyday necessities on it, and there are also some bigger-ticket things we genuinely need—a crib, bassinet, car seat and other essentials.
We're essentially starting from scratch on our side, and financially we simply cannot put together an entire second baby setup on our own right now.
If you've followed Jimmy's story...
If you've prayed for him...
If you've rooted for him from afar...
If you remember the days when I wasn't sure whether my son would ever get the chance to have a life like this...
And if you'd like to be a tiny part of helping him begin this next chapter, I would be incredibly grateful.
Please don't ever think something has to be expensive to matter. A package of wipes matters. Diapers matter. Baby wash matters. One small thing checked off that list is one less thing this dad has to worry about while he continues building his life.
And if buying something isn't possible, your love, support, and prayers 🙏 for Jimmy, Michele, and Damen James are more than enough. ❤️
For years, I told other families to hold on to hope.
Somewhere along the way, I had a hard time holding onto my own.
And now it's standing right in front of me.
Clean. Sober. Working. Planning. Building. Becoming.
The best comeback story yet. 💚
🎯 Jimmy's Damen James's Target Registry:
https://www.target.com/gift-registry/gift/jimmysbabyregistry
