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Rusty Thomas' Daughter Dies


JermajestyDuggar

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I mean, politics aside, but man I am watching this video and no one deserves to watch their child die. You can be a horrible person, and I can hate you 364 days a year, but on the day your child dies, I will stand with you and sympathize with our shared humanity because no matter who you are, where you are from, this pain is universal. 
I hope when the time comes heaven will treat Jeremiah well :my_heart:

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5 hours ago, FundieCentral said:

I mean, politics aside, but man I am watching this video and no one deserves to watch their child die. You can be a horrible person, and I can hate you 364 days a year, but on the day your child dies, I will stand with you and sympathize with our shared humanity because no matter who you are, where you are from, this pain is universal. 
I hope when the time comes heaven will treat Jeremiah well :my_heart:

Beautifully said.  I don't agree with the way this is being handled, but they are losing their baby, and that pain deserves a degree of...I don't know what the word is, but for me, they are off limits for snark right now.  Bless them...I can't even imagine.  I just hope their son doesn't suffer...

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I am sorry this is happening. I hope Jeremiah has peace and goes easily when it is his time. And for his parents, I hope that good can come out of this horrible thing for them--that they can find peace and compassion for others. 

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1 hour ago, Koala said:

Beautifully said.  I don't agree with the way this is being handled, but they are losing their baby, and that pain deserves a degree of...I don't know what the word is, but for me, they are off limits for snark right now.  Bless them...I can't even imagine.  I just hope their son doesn't suffer...

Wishing them all comfort and compassion with all of my heart. 

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I think it's possible to wish them all the comfort possible, while being disgusted at the way Rusty is using this to push his political agenda. They're not mutually exclusive. 

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I do feel very bad for them, as many others have said - they may not be anyone I would like in real life. But they are losing their child and that is the important thing here.  I can not even begin to imagine how painful it must be.  I hope that he passes easily, with as little pain as possible.  Pain management, pain relief in the form of medication, whatever it takes to keep him comfortable.  I mentioned in the Lori thread where we were discussing abuse, that I have a friend who lost her daughter.  Her daughter passed away on her 26th birthday, due to rare and fast growing cancer that as of this point I think it still an incurable strain.  I know what my friend went through losing her daughter, I hope that they have a strong support system because they will need it.

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15 hours ago, Briefly said:

I do feel very bad for them, as many others have said - they may not be anyone I would like in real life. But they are losing their child and that is the important thing here.  I can not even begin to imagine how painful it must be.  I hope that he passes easily, with as little pain as possible.  Pain management, pain relief in the form of medication, whatever it takes to keep him comfortable.  I mentioned in the Lori thread where we were discussing abuse, that I have a friend who lost her daughter.  Her daughter passed away on her 26th birthday, due to rare and fast growing cancer that as of this point I think it still an incurable strain.  I know what my friend went through losing her daughter, I hope that they have a strong support system because they will need it.

The Thomases do seem to have a lot of friends they protest with. Like the Campanas and Johnstons and Robertses. So I guess that’s the ONLY good thing to come from their protests. 

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I am just going to be honest- The video Rusty released 7 hours ago is very troubling to me.  At first I thought it was going to be a request to halt all visits to allow Jeremiah time to rest/spend time with family/lower exposure to germs.  That would have made perfect sense to me.  That, however, wasn't the case.

The video is about halting visits so that Jeremiah can complete a list of "tasks" that Rusty wants him to complete in his remaining time.  He refers to them as "kingdom assignments he must fulfill before meeting the Lord".  

The tasks:

1.  An interview with the Dan Fisher campaign (completed yesterday)

2. "I believe that the Lord desires Jeremiah to give a charge...."

"I have asked my son, with the remaining strength that he has left, to pen this letter..."

I think I understood him to say that he wants to record Jeremiah reading this "charge"

Anyway, I really can't describe the feeling that the video gave me, but it just seemed so unfair.  It appears that 16 short years is all the time this young man has been given.  The fact that Rusty is dictating how he spends his remaining time, just seems breathtakingly selfish.  Shouldn't Jeremiah himself be deciding how to spend his remaining time?  Why is God telling Rusty what he wants him to do?  Wouldn't it be more meaningful for Jeremiah to decide how these days should be spent?  

I am also concerned that (to Rusty) this all seems to have a political angle.  Even the Make-a-Wish.  In the video, he mentions something about an anti-abortion bill being named in Jeremiah's honor, and says that he's already working to secure that.   (Which seems like a really odd thing to be doing at the moment).

The other thing that really stood out to me, is Rusty's implication that Jeremiah must "complete these kingdom assignments before meeting the Lord".  What is that based on?  Does Rusty get to decide what a person has to do to meet the Lord?  Really?  What a weight to put on this young man's shoulders.  

The way they have described this ulcerated tumor (I think that's what it's called), sounds unbearably painful.  I honestly can't even imagine how awful the pain would be.  Anyway, I can't help but wonder if he really *feels* like doing interviews, penning "charges" , and recording videos.  

I don't know- even after my original thought, which is- families going through something like this get a pass...something just doesn't seem right about the way Rusty is making this about him...

Maybe it's just me...

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32 minutes ago, Koala said:


I don't know- even after my original thought, which is- families going through something like this get a pass...something just doesn't seem right about the way Rusty is making this about him...

Maybe it's just me...

It's not just you.

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Okay, sign me up for the Evil Bitch Club.  Any father who assigns chores for his dying child to do before he leaves this world gets no sympathy or compassion from me.  I pray Jeremiah finds peace and comfort in his final days.

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51 minutes ago, Myomy said:

Okay, sign me up for the Evil Bitch Club.  Any father who assigns chores for his dying child to do before he leaves this world gets no sympathy or compassion from me.  I pray Jeremiah finds peace and comfort in his final days.

I was watching the video stunned.  "Kingdom assignments he must complete before meeting the Lord"...that was a giant red flag for me. 

This man is so controlling, that he honestly thinks he can set the terms under which his terminally ill son meets the Lord.  How dare he put the burden of things HE wants done on Jeremiah?  How dare he use this to further his political agenda?  It's just so very selfish.  

I am usually the type that will hold your hand on your darkest day, even if we 100% disagree.  This case strikes me totally different though.  Just fundamentally wrong.

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30 minutes ago, Koala said:


I am usually the type that will hold your hand on your darkest day, even if we 100% disagree.

I am, too.  I have lost too many family members to cancer.  Now is the time to show love and comfort to his son and let him know it is okay to continue his journey to meet the Lord.  Not to assign a damned chore list.  Right now I am feeling like I want to punch something.

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I just watched the video.  The railing about abortion at the end was just too much.  I am so sorry for those that love him.  We lost my brother at the age of 13 from cystic fibrosis and the toll on my mom was immense.  Now is not the time to be campaigning.  He has at most 2 months left and those 2 months are going to be filled with physical pain.  Let him rest and be a 16 year old dying kid.  Make a wish is not political and trying to use it for that purpose just upsets me.  My brother died before he got his wish.  I got a wish since I have cf too and we went to Australia the summer after he died since I was 17.  

I am an atheist if I am glad Jeremiah has strong faith as I can imagine he is dealing with incredible fear.   Dying is hard on anybody but it has to be worse for a kid.

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Ya know, every family and every person will respond differently when faced with the unthinkable.  It may be that an active, athletic kid now confined to his bed does better when he has something structured to do that gives meaning to his life -- in the context of this family, well, no surprises on content, none at all.  When you're an athlete, you train for the next phase of competition, the next event.  To me there is a certain logic to Rusty preparing his son as best he can for the next event-- meeting god in heaven.  

He's facing the loss of a cherished child and this is something he CAN DO in the face of unthinkable, unbearable loss. I'm sure it helps ease the sense of helplessness they all feel.  

I didn't (couldn't) watch the video. 

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2 hours ago, Myomy said:

Okay, sign me up for the Evil Bitch Club.  Any father who assigns chores for his dying child to do before he leaves this world gets no sympathy or compassion from me. 

Sign me up, too.  What an asshole.  But that's the way these rabid anti-choice fools are.   The unborn always come before the born.  His 16 year old child is near death and in his few remaining days Rusty is frantically trying to use him to prevent women from having control over their own bodies.   

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2 hours ago, Howl said:

Ya know, every family and every person will respond differently when faced with the unthinkable.  It may be that an active, athletic kid now confined to his bed does better when he has something structured to do that gives meaning to his life -- in the context of this family, well, no surprises on content, none at all.  When you're an athlete, you train for the next phase of competition, the next event.  To me there is a certain logic to Rusty preparing his son as best he can for the next event-- meeting god in heaven.  

He's facing the loss of a cherished child and this is something he CAN DO in the face of unthinkable, unbearable loss. I'm sure it helps ease the sense of helplessness they all feel.  

I didn't (couldn't) watch the video. 

Disagree completely.  Rusty is making this about himself...his grief, his loss, his wishes, his demands, his fears...because he has to control everything.  

And, frankly, who the fuck is Rusty to prepare his son to meet god?  IMO Rusty lacks real faith, the belief that his son is a good person and deserves a heavenly reward.

Rusty is an attention seeking bastard.  

 

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45 minutes ago, Carol said:

Disagree completely.  Rusty is making this about himself...his grief, his loss, his wishes, his demands, his fears...because he has to control everything.  

Rusty went so far to say that visitors would no longer be welcome at the hospital.  Not because the immediate family wanted to be alone with him in his final days but because Jeremiah has important anti-abortion business to address with politicians before he dies.  Rusty went so far as to get some politician to agree to name a future bill outlawing all abortions "Jeremiah's Law".  So Jeremiah can be further exploited for his father's ambitions even after death.

This is not the way a normal father behaves in this situation.  

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I have never heard of these people before today, but what the actual fuck? Who does this to their dying child? 

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2 hours ago, Carol said:

Disagree completely.  Rusty is making this about himself...his grief, his loss, his wishes, his demands, his fears...because he has to control everything.  

And, frankly, who the fuck is Rusty to prepare his son to meet god?  IMO Rusty lacks real faith, the belief that his son is a good person and deserves a heavenly reward.

Rusty is an attention seeking bastard.  

 

That is exactly what it looks like, he's making it about himself.  Not about his child who be probably not make it to 17, not about his wife who is about to lose her son, not even about his own grief over losing his son - just about himself, period.  He's really disgusting.

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13 hours ago, Briefly said:

That is exactly what it looks like, he's making it about himself.  Not about his child who be probably not make it to 17, not about his wife who is about to lose her son, not even about his own grief over losing his son - just about himself, period.  He's really disgusting.

This sounds terrible but it really doesn’t surprise me. Rusty has been on my radar for a little while because the Thomases protest with some other FJ families. They are completely over the top about abortion. I know this isn’t out of the ordinary for fundies but I have to say that I’ve always been struck by how the Thomases are just completely nuts about it. It’s almost obsessive. It seems like it’s all Rusty thinks about. They have a ton of children (13) and I imagine the only way to get any attention from dad is to also be extemely anti choice as well. It’s interesting to me that his grown children don’t seem to attend all the protests. While I imagine they are all anti choice, I wonder if some of them resent being constantly dragged to protests growing up. 

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4 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

This sounds terrible but it really doesn’t surprise me. Rusty has been on my radar for a little while because the Thomases protest with some other FJ families. They are completely over the top about abortion. 

They want women and doctors charged with first degree murder.   Good times.

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And this is why I have no sympathy for the parents. These hateful selfish people not only refused real medical treatment for their son, but they also refuse to let him die in peace. Karma Is a bitch. #sorrynotsorry.

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What will Rusty do if Jeremiah is unable to complete his kingdom assignments? Rant at God for taking him too soon? Rant and be angry with Jeremiah for not doing his assignments?  Tell us all that Jeremiah left his assignment incomplete and therefore is not in Heaven?

With a father like that who needs enemies.

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Rusty is horrible, and so is being assigned homework in preparation for what is likely your imminent death, but I keep coming back to how excruciating it must be to know you are about to lose your child, and that you are powerless to change the outcome.  I wonder if, on some unconscious level, Rusty gave his son this assignment thinking that his always obedient child would never let himself die before completing something he had agreed to do, and this task will keep him going a little longer.

it could also be about maintaining the security of a sense of normalcy and control over a situation that is neither of these.

Rusty sucks, and my heart is breaking for him.

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