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Ever since J.J. Wett was born, he has been beating the odds. J.J. was born in 1985 with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), type I, the number one genetic killer of children under the age of two. SMA is a hereditary and often fatal disease that destroys the nerves controlling voluntary muscle movement. Movements affected include crawling, walking, head and neck control, and even swallowing. One in every 6,000 babies is born with SMA. 

J.J.'s parents were told that he would not live past age two. Around the time when he had his second birthday, J.J. began having to use a ventilator. The ventilator gives him twelve breathes per minute, with J.J. taking his own breathes in between. 

J.J. entered Kindergarten at the same age as other children his age, but he was put into special education classes, even though he had no cognitive disorder. This was resolved by the time he entered the first grade and was rightfully placed in regular education classes. J.J. continued with regular education classes until he graduated from Crystal Lake Central High School in 2003 with a 3.4/4.0 grade point average. He had many friends and was very active, much in part to the positive reinforcements and encouragement that he had at home.

"My parents really pushed me to believe that I could do anything anyone else can do," J.J. said. "My friends were also very supportive and positive about my abilities."

After his high school graduation, J.J. was certain that he wanted to attend Northern Illinois University (NIU). He needed a nurse to be present around-the-clock since he would be living away from the care of his mother, but was denied funding for 24-hour care by the Office of Rehabilitation Services (ORS). His plan of attending college was beginning to seem hopeless.

Then, J.J.'s mother heard about RAMP through an acquaintance and called RAMP's DeKalb office to find out what could be done to help her son. Melissa Yerk, DeKalb Services Manager, took on the challenge and found a way to make J.J.'s plan a reality. She convinced ORS and the Division of Specialized Care for Children to split the cost of J.J.'s care. 

"RAMP is a lifesaver. Without Melissa, I wouldn't be here (NIU)," J.J. said.

Melissa also visited J.J. on the day he moved into his dorm room at NIU. "She helped me figure everything out, like where to put things so it would look nicer and be easier for me."

J.J. is now working toward a degree in social work. He has been interested in the line of work since he was about 10 years old. At that time, his parents divorced and he and his sister were required to see a social worker. The social worker they were assigned was not very pleasant or helpful. The experience made J.J. want to be a social worker so he could strive to be better and help people as much as possible. 

Presently, however, in the first year of his enrollment at NIU, he is taking general education classes to fulfill basic degree requirements. His nurse takes notes for him during class and he writes papers with the "pick and peck" method of typing on the computer.

He performed very well during his first semester at NIU, earning one A, two B's and two C's. However, those grades were not good enough for him. He is used to earning much higher scores and says that he is studying harder this semester to improve his grades. 

Not only is J.J. succeeding academically, his social life is definitely not suffering either. J.J. has a girlfriend named Sheena and he has plenty of friends that he hangs out with, playing video games and watching sports. J.J. has even started his own floor hockey team, the High Plaines Drifters, at NIU. He has been playing floor hockey since he was nine with the Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association and did not want to give up the sport once he entered college. He is currently the only one in the league who plays in a wheelchair and is captain of his team, which consists of about 10 players.

Giving back to RAMP is also a big priority for J.J. He participated in last years' DeKalb County Wheel-A-Thon and may even help to plan the event this year.

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