Jamie (Butterfly) Woolford

Jamie was such a smart, inquisitive boy who loved learning. He used to always get so excited about the beginning of school because he was so happy to be back where he could learn new things.

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He did sometimes have difficulty fitting in when he was a boy. From a young age, he was just different, he knew it and felt it. He just never really knew how to articulate it when he was young. He never really spoke until he was almost three. We used to wonder what he was thinking because he would never say much. Then, just before his third birthday, he started talking and never stopped. Complete sentences right from the start. Asking questions, so many questions.

Pokemon was his first obsession, Gotta catch 'em all and he did, at least in his memory. He loved Pikachu. His next love was dinosaurs. He knew every one of them and everything about them. He was 6 years old and he said, "Mom, do you know the longest dinosaur name? No? I do, it's Micropeceolsephalasaurus"  and then he proceeded to spell it. One day when he was just in grade 1, he came home and said that a grade 6 student who was doing a project on dinosaurs needed to know something so was told that someone in grade 1 might be able to answer their question. He came to Jamie's class asking for the "dinosaur expert". Jamie gave him the answers and was so excited when he came home that day. It was a proud moment for him. He felt important. His difference made him feel special that day. He liked to feel special. In grade 4 his speech won for the best speech. It was entitled "Monsters Under My Bed". He went on to give his speech at a competition between the schools in our area. He came in 2nd but of course, as his parents, we felt he was wronged. Still, he was very proud of that accomplishment. It was such an imaginative speech, and so funny.

He soon discovered sports which then became his favourite topic. Hockey first, he begged us to let him play when he was 7. He couldn't even skate but he knew he wanted to play. It didn't take long before he was an exceptional player. At nine or ten he was fascinated with the goalies and could name the goalie, back up goalie of every NHL team and where they were last year if they had just been traded. He used to quiz me (his mom) on them because he liked to share his information. Then came soccer, again he liked the goalie position. Now, though, he got to be the goalie and he was very good. This is where the butterfly comes to play. When he was about 11 one of his teammates nicknamed him butterfly and after that it was his name on every team. He even asked us to get a butterfly patch for his keeper jersey, which we did. This is the reason his sister, Emma, decided to call our team: Team Butterfly when her husband, Eric, suggested that we join the CMHA Ride Don't Hide campaign. He loved all sports. Even if he didn't play them, he learned about them...and talked about them!

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He was such a smart young man. He taught himself Mandarin starting at around 17 years old. He began with a Rosetta Stone program that he bought himself because the Mandarin class had been cancelled in his High School and he wanted to learn. The teacher in the school who was going to teach the class was impressed that he still wanted to learn so she would tutor him a bit and helped him choose his Chinese name. Wu Jai Ming. He then moved on to reading and writing, going to school in China on three separate occasions to study more. He became fluent and had a perfect accent. He was considered a bit of an anomaly in China as he was 6'3", blond with his red beard and then he would speak perfect Mandarin. They were fascinated by this. 

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He was a very sensitive, caring and sweet young man. His illness brought a tragic end to a promising and beautiful life. He suffered so much in his short life that it is heartbreaking.  I still feel like one day he will show up and I'll hear, "Mom, I have a question".  I used to get a little frustrated when he constantly asked that, now I would give anything to hear it again.

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Mental illness is a terrible thing, mostly because of the shame we have been taught to feel. Our need to keep it hidden. Don't talk about it, or the person in the family who is suffering. Keep it behind closed doors. It's a private family matter that we keep to ourselves. It's very sad that it has been like that for years. But things are changing and now it's okay to share and to talk openly. Jamie tragically lost his battle but we ride and talk so that many others can and will be helped. Our hope is that Jamie will be remembered and that Team Butterfly will help make a difference, even for just one person. 

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Fly, Jamie, fly xo

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