Mother of a hero

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jenay Randolph
  • 6th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs
Ask yourself these questions. What would you do if you were a single parent who lost your only child? How would you cope? How would you feel? Would you be able to handle that?

Tech. Sgt. Laurie Jones, the 6th Logistics Readiness Squadron NCO in-charge of central storage, discovered the answers to those questions recently. Prior to being stationed at MacDill Air Force Base,Fla., Jones was at Eglin AFB, Fla. She was a member of the 96th LRS and the 33rd Maintenance Squadron. Jones was a single mother of a 16-year-old boy, Malo Enrique Paul.

Malo was a simple child who liked to draw and read books. He was 6 foot 3 inches and had recently started playing basketball. He was also involved in the churches as a youth minister. In his mother's words, he was just a great kid.

"My son was the type of person that anytime anybody met him they fell in love with him," Jones said. "He was a people person and a good person in general."

June 8, 2013, was the day that changed both of their lives forever. Malo attended a sweet 16 birthday party for his classmate, Jamila, on the beach in Destin, Fla. The teens were playing in the shallow part of the water when Jamilia could no longer feel the ground and realized that the ocean current was pulling her out. She began to call for help, and Malo was the only one to hear her.

At 6 foot 3 inches tall, he didn't see any danger in going out to help her. As he reached for her hand to pull her into safety, the current took both of them out further into the water. They had to be rescued by the lifeguards on the beach and rushed to the hospital.

About two hours after dropping her son off at the party, Jones received several phone calls within 10 minutes from her mentor and a family friend, Mr. Mitchell, who told her to get to Fort Walton Beach Hospital as soon as possible. That's when she knew something wasn't right. Jones arrived before the ambulance and everyone else from the party.

"Nobody would tell me anything and then the doctors came out and asked to speak to me. I went into the back and the doctor told me that my son had drowned basically and that was it," Jones said. "So I took it as my son was gone, as he was no longer living. When he said that to me things were never the same, I got numb and I just couldn't understand."

However, the doctors had resuscitated him. Malo was in a coma, on a ventilator and showed no signs of recovery. The following eight days included transports to Sacred Heart in Pensacola, Fla., numerous visits from his classmates and family members. After the seventh day, Jones knew it was time to let her son go.

So after much prayer and consideration, Jones took her son off of life support and allowed him to take his last breath on June 16, 2013, Father's Day.

"Members of the 96th LRS and the 33rd MXS were there for me the whole time and then some. They never left my side. They came up to visit and did so many things for me. I never had to worry about anything," expressed Jones with gratitude. "My commander and chaplain from the 33rd MXS went above what their responsibilities were."

Lt. Col. Lee Maurice, the 33rd MXS commander, came to Fort Walton Beach Hospital and sat with Malo and consoled Jones for approximately five hours. Along with the commander, was Capt. Herman Harris, the 33rd MXS chaplain. He was also the chaplain for the church service that Jones and her son frequently attended.

"I'm not sad that my son has passed away, because I know for a fact that he is with God. I never had to worry about him and that is the only (thing) that keeps me sane on a day-to-day basis," said Jones as tears filled her eyes. "I miss him flesh wise. I miss his face. I miss his touch. I miss him period."

Jones chooses to try and keep a smile on her face and be positive, but she has her days of sadness. During those days, she has her military family along with her family and friends to help uplift her spirits and comfort her.

"You choose every emotion you have and I'm not going to sit over here in the corner and cry my days away. Instead I choose to happy," Jones expressed. "But to know that he gave his life for somebody else because they were in trouble. He is a hero."