Mom of teen viciously beaten with a bat in 2016 is hoping to receive Christmas cards

Photo: Facebook / Sue Simpson

A mother is trying to bring some Christmas cheer to her son this holiday season. 

Jessie Simpson was viciously beaten with a bat in 2016 and left with a brain injury. His mother, Sue Simpson, is asking the community to send him Christmas cards this year.

Jessie is currently at Vancouver General Hospital, airlifted there two days ago, for his eleventh surgery, which will take place today at 8 a.m.  

Sue tells Castanet she hopes to bring her son joy as she reads letters sent to him for the holidays.

“I just want to cheer him up, he’s been through a lot and he loves people and they can’t see them right now because of COVID,” explains Sue. "He’s very kind and loving — even after everything he’s gone through.”

“I would like to get Christmas cards together for him and be able to read them to him. He loves it, I wrote a lot of cards and I read him the post — it cheers him up.”

Jessie's favourite holidays are his birthday and Christmas but because he lives in a nursing home, he won’t be able to be home for Christmas. Sue is currently working to make their house more accessible for her son and hopes to have him back home by July. 

“It’s hard on everyone in the family right now,” said Sue about not being able to see her son as often.

“Jessie and I had visits planned but there was COVID discovered in the home, he didn’t get it thank goodness but that was a big scare for us — hit close to home, especially before Jessie’s surgery.”

The surgery will take 5.5 hours and they’ll be at the hospital for a week to recover. The mother-son duo grew up in Kelowna and says the power of kindness works. 

“A lot of positives and prayers have gotten us through tough times. With him being sick, hurt and almost passed away a few times in the hospital, it’s been really, really nice to hear — it keeps Jessie’s spirits up.”     

Sue read prayers to Jessie over the weekend and Jessie responded with a “right on!”

“A lot of people ask me how we get through this, it’s Jessie. Jessie’s strength and a mom’s strength — you will always love your son.”

If you would like to write to Jessie, you can mail a card to P.O. Box 233 Savona, B.C. V0K 2J0. Sue asks the public not to send any toys or teddy bears due to COVID, but if people would like to send gift cards to help with home renovations they can.  

“Only if they want to, they don’t have to just to say that you care and that you’re praying for Jessie is more than enough and Merry Christmas.”

Other ways you can support the family, Columbia Bottle Depots on Dease Road in Kelowna has an account in Jessie’s name and there is a GoFundMe set-up in his honour.