[Elspode]

The only person who can decide if it would have been better to die would be Jacqui herself. Only the individual can know what life is worth, no one else can possibly tell us that.

It seems that this young woman finds some value in her difigured and horribly painful existence, and that, my friends is true bravery, true heroism, true guts.

Anyone, regardless of how they looked before a horrible accident, would be the victim of a tragedy if they had to endure the pain of surgeries, loss of physical abilities, and yes, tremendous disfigurement.

I have a little experience with the sorts of things that are lost from my own son. Now 21, Stephen suffered a brain injury at the age of 10, and subsequently went from being the smartest kid in school, the most popular boy on the block, to a borderline retarded child, unable to even put together a five word sentence that made sense, unable to comprehend the simplest instructions or conversation.

He has improved a great deal in the intervening years, but he will never drive due to a permanent seizure disorder, and he is often alone, with few friends, facing a future of living on disability and working as a busboy three nights a week for $3.00 per hour plus tips. He's still quite handsome, and far more positive and cheerful than I could ever be in his circumstances, but I call the transition he has been forced to make tragic.

Am I overstating it? I would far rather he had *not* died (and he very nearly did, twice, when he was injured), and so would he, because bad as things can be for him, he chooses to make the best out of the life he still has.

The pictures of Jacqui and the story that goes along with them are absolutely heart rending. I can't think of anything else to describe her situation as tragic.