This patient came to Regional One Health from: MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE ONE Health: The Compass that Will Guide Needed Social Change in Memphis If you walked up upon Jamarcus Ankston, you would most likely find him smiling. He seems to smile a lot. He sways a little, too. You’d have no idea how much physical pain his smile is masking. You might not notice that patches of his body are burned. And, you wouldn’t know that he doesn’t always smile by choice. Jamarcus is 28 years old. He dropped out of school in the 4th grade to care for his mom, who was then dying of a brain disorder called acute cerebellar ataxia. It’s the same disorder that causes Jamarcus to constantly smile—he has little control of his facial muscles. It’s what causes him to fall over when he tries to stand and to sway while he sits. Unmedicated until recently, it’s the disorder that causes Jamarcus to collapse onto the stove and get burned when he cooks. His brainstem is growing into his brain. When Jamarcus arrived at Regional One Health with his godmother, Betty, he was living in an abandoned house. As Betty gave Jamarcus’ medical and home-life details to the Regional One emergency department, medical and socialDONATE.REGIONALONEHEALTHFOUNDATION.ORG 12
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