Hearts were heavier than their hammers

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) - The mourning mother of Jenna Jacques cannot describe why her daughter impacted so many people in her all too brief 9 years of life. But she tried as volunteers took down the wheelchair ramp they built just last year for the Providence cancer patient.

“I can't answer that question,” Heather Jacques said. “She was something special.”

Then, she caught herself.

“She is something special,” she added, emphasizing the word ‘is’.

On July 6, the Providence third grader lost her battle with Medulloblastoma , an aggressive form of brain cancer that struck Jenna early last year. She was in remission last August and gaining strength.

In March, she was able to walk down the ramp with some help, an accomplishment that left her family optimistic. Then, in April, devastating news hit.

“I was hurt. My husband was hurt. I was heart broken to tell her that she had to fight longer,” Jacques said, remembering when doctors reported that the cancer had come back to Jenna's spine and that she had at best, 6 months to live. “It was heart breaking.”

They did not tell Jenna, instead asking her if she wanted to change her request with the Make A Wish Foundation of Rhode Island . She did, asking to meet Justin Bieber instead of going to Disney World.

In a whirlwind of phone calls and scheduling, Rhode Island Wish Program Coordinator Meredith Morris was able to finagle a way for Jenna to meet the pop star.

“But it was in Oslo, Norway,” Jacques said, “At first I said no way. My daughter couldn’t do that.”

But after talking with Jenna's doctor, she relented and soon the process of getting passports and transporting the entire Jacques family to Oslo in a matter of days was under way. The fact that the airline lost the family's luggage is just an afterthought now.

In one of those suitcases: “All Jenna's medical supplies," Jacques said. "She had a sore that needed to be covered and changed every day. Her IV nutrition was gone.”

But no one panicked and eventually the luggage was back right before the Jacques were face to face with Justin.

“I'm just 'chillin' right now. We're just hanging out,” Bieber said in a video that Jenna's mom recorded.  “And I just wanted to say hi. And I wanted you to have this so you can look back on it. And I love you and I will see you soon.”

Bieber sealed his words with a kiss.

“She (Jenna) was just calm,” Jacques explained. “Like he was lucky to meet her is how she looked at it. And I did too.”

Six days later, Jenna Jacques was gone with a lot of people feeling lucky to have met her. Her life was short but her impact was big.

The organizations Fighting For A Chance and The Amos House Carpentry Training Program teamed up to build the ramp last spring and then sadly to take it down in the heat of this summer. They had hoped to remove it when Jenna was completely healthy.

Rhode Island Pink Heals put her name on a pink ambulance, the first time that was ever done in the northeast.

And her TeamJennnaRI web page has attracted 2600 hundred friends, including 400 new additions since she passed away.

Her mom is grateful for the support and feels as though Jenna is still with her and many others, including a former neighbor who sent a note about how much the kid with the dimples loved butterflies.

“She told me every time you see a butterfly, think of Jenna. And now all we see is butterflies.”

TeamJennaRI lives on as well. The organization is still collecting donations to help other families and their children fight cancer, the way Jenna did for 16 brave, inspiring months.

Send your news tips to Walt Buteau at wbuteau@wpri.com and follow Walt on Twitter: @wbuteau