Interview Questions and Answers: Story Overview: On August 4 th 2014, Grand Rapids, Michigan residents were horrified to hear the news that twelve-year- old Jamarion Lawhorn was so unhappy with his life that he wanted to die. Believing the police would come kill him if he killed someone else, he lured a boy he had never met, my nine-year-old grandson, Connor Verkerke, to a playground across the street from Connor’s home. When Connor fell face down off the slide, Jamarion began stabbing him in the back until Connor got away and ran home with his brother. As Connor lay dying on his back porch, his words of love and forgiveness to his frantic parents and brothers forever touched the hearts of all who loved him. This book is the story of that love, forgiveness, and compassion. What inspired you to write this story? The week before Connor was killed, he announced to me that I should write a book. When I asked what I could possibly write a book about, he assured me that I should write a book about love. Looking back on this, I wonder if he knew that something was about to happen? Did he have a sense that he was about to die? It took me more than a year to recover from my grief to even think about writing Connor’s story, but because Connor’s life reflected great love and compassion, I felt compelled to tell his story to the world. You mention in the book that you experienced many miracles around your grandson’s murder. How were you able to see miracles and not just a senseless tragedy? Connor and I had spent his last summer studying the teachings of His Holiness the IV Dalai Lama. Connor was completely fascinated with the Dalai Lama’s teaching that we should find greatness in everyone and everything we experienced. When Connor was killed, I realized that I had a choice to see only a tragedy or to use this challenging experience to find and build inner strength. Fortunately, I felt God’s presence in my life sustaining me, lifting me, and helping me to become more of who I am. I give all the credit to God – He showed himself and his love in the most trying of my times and I became a reflection of that love. You write about the fact that you have a relationship with Jamarion’s mother – tell us about that. I had the opportunity to meet his mother, Anita, a few weeks after the murder. She was as devastated as we were and she continued to apologize for her son’s actions. Because I spent time with Anita and experienced her grief and agony, I didn’t just hear her story from the press’ point of view. We continued to talk during hearings and the trial and we realized that we both come from similar backgrounds of addiction, abuse, and mental illness and we are both committed to rising above our past and becoming healthy productive women who can bring about change in our world.

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Page 1: Interview Questions and Answersheynanastory.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/QA-Press-Kit.pdfInterview Questions and Answers: Story Overview: On August 4th 2014, Grand Rapids, Michigan

InterviewQuestionsandAnswers:StoryOverview:

OnAugust4th2014,GrandRapids,Michiganresidentswerehorrifiedtohearthenewsthattwelve-year-oldJamarionLawhornwassounhappywithhislifethathewantedtodie.Believingthepolicewouldcomekillhimifhekilledsomeoneelse,heluredaboyhehadnevermet,mynine-year-oldgrandson,ConnorVerkerke,toaplaygroundacrossthestreetfromConnor’shome.WhenConnorfellfacedownofftheslide,JamarionbeganstabbinghiminthebackuntilConnorgotawayandranhomewithhisbrother.AsConnorlaydyingonhisbackporch,hiswordsofloveandforgivenesstohisfranticparentsandbrothersforevertouchedtheheartsofallwholovedhim.Thisbookisthestoryofthatlove,forgiveness,andcompassion.

Whatinspiredyoutowritethisstory?

TheweekbeforeConnorwaskilled,heannouncedtomethatIshouldwriteabook.WhenIaskedwhatIcouldpossiblywriteabookabout,heassuredmethatIshouldwriteabookaboutlove.Lookingbackonthis,Iwonderifheknewthatsomethingwasabouttohappen?Didhehaveasensethathewasabouttodie?IttookmemorethanayeartorecoverfrommygrieftoeventhinkaboutwritingConnor’sstory,butbecauseConnor’slifereflectedgreatloveandcompassion,Ifeltcompelledtotellhisstorytotheworld.

Youmentioninthebookthatyouexperiencedmanymiraclesaroundyourgrandson’smurder.Howwereyouabletoseemiraclesandnotjustasenselesstragedy?

ConnorandIhadspenthislastsummerstudyingtheteachingsofHisHolinesstheIVDalaiLama.ConnorwascompletelyfascinatedwiththeDalaiLama’steachingthatweshouldfindgreatnessineveryoneandeverythingweexperienced.WhenConnorwaskilled,IrealizedthatIhadachoicetoseeonlyatragedyortousethischallengingexperiencetofindandbuildinnerstrength.Fortunately,IfeltGod’spresenceinmylifesustainingme,liftingme,andhelpingmetobecomemoreofwhoIam.IgiveallthecredittoGod–HeshowedhimselfandhisloveinthemosttryingofmytimesandIbecameareflectionofthatlove.

YouwriteaboutthefactthatyouhavearelationshipwithJamarion’smother–tellusaboutthat.

Ihadtheopportunitytomeethismother,Anita,afewweeksafterthemurder.Shewasasdevastatedaswewereandshecontinuedtoapologizeforherson’sactions.BecauseIspenttimewithAnitaandexperiencedhergriefandagony,Ididn’tjusthearherstoryfromthepress’pointofview.Wecontinuedtotalkduringhearingsandthetrialandwerealizedthatwebothcomefromsimilarbackgroundsofaddiction,abuse,andmentalillnessandwearebothcommittedtorisingaboveourpastandbecominghealthyproductivewomenwhocanbringaboutchangeinourworld.