By By ANDY HAMILTON / Niles Daily Star
NILES – Parents always say they would give their life for their children.
Jennifer Carlisle did just that.
The 31-year-old former Niles resident was literally given the choice of her life or her child's. Jenny, as her friends knew her, died Thursday, Feb. 15, at the age of 31.
"Even though the doctors did say it would extend her life to have the abortion, she and her husband made the decision to let God choose," said Jennifer's mother, Carol Day.
Jenny's husband, Joshua Carlisle, reiterated his mother-in-law's comments.
"That's how were making day to day right now is just trusting in God," Joshua said. "He's going to take care of us. We don't have a shadow of a doubt we know where she is."
Added Jackie Murdock, Day's sister and Jenny's aunt, "She served God with all her heart. She wouldn't have traded it. She never doubted God would heal her."
Jenny Simanton was born and raised in Niles. She graduated from Niles High School in 1994.
Day said Jenny was active in Voices Unlimited, Counterpoints and the Optimist Soccer League. She also attended church at the Michiana First Assembly of God, now the Michiana Christian Embassy.
"I'm still getting emails from kids she went to school with because of what kind of impact she's had on their lives," Day said.
Jenny moved to Nashville, Tenn., after graduating Niles to attend Belmont University. She met Joshua at Belmont in English class, and they were married in August of 2006 and lived in Spring Hill, Tenn., about 25 miles south of Nashville.
"She went to college thinking about a music career and realized her goal in life was to be a mom and a wife," Day said.
Jenny and Josh had three children before the couple found out June 2005 they were pregnant with their fourth child, Gabriel. Hannah is now 7, Isaac is 6 and Sarah Grace is 4.
It was also at that time, during a check up for her pregnancy, that doctors found a tumor on one of Jenny's ovaries.
"[The tumor] grew to soccer ball size in two weeks," Murdock said. "That's when they found out it was cancer.
"She was told [at two months pregnant] if she didn't abort the baby she would die of cancer," Murdock added.
Jenny was given two small chemotherapy treatments during pregnancy that did not hurt Gabriel, but chose to put off any further chemo until the baby was born.
"They decided God would make that decision, not her," Murdock said. "She wouldn't decide somebody else's life."
Jenny had seven surgeries in the final year before her death. Last summer, the cancer went into remission.
Day, recalling the last days she spent with her daughter, said Jenny was tired, but still attended church Sunday, Feb. 11. On Wednesday, Feb. 14, she was awake and alert for about an hour, enough to open Valentines from her children and husband.
"That was probably the fastest whirlwind I've been through my entire life," said Day, who is also a LBN – equivalent to a licensed practical nurse in Michigan – in Garland, Texas near Dallas.
Day said her daughter was never in pain or swelled up, but toward the end was unable to eat.
"This kind of cancer tends to attack your digestion system. In the last three months … things went very rapidly," Day said.
Most of Jenny's family, including Day and Murdock, were with her when she died.
"We just have had people from both the church and our family and friends," Joshua said. "They just really encouraged us and prayed for us and are still doing all of that. It's really been a comfort."
More than 1,000 people attended her funeral, Murdock said. At the ceremony, Day remembered someone telling her that Jenny was like "liquid sunshine."
"You could not look at her and not smile liquid sunshine," Day said. "I am so proud of her. She had the faith and courage that most of us were never able to attain in our lives. I'm honored to have had her as my baby."
Added Joshua, "She also was a great mother and that's something she always wanted to be. She's deeply missed by us all. It's hard day to day. It's a very overwhelming thing to try to pick up the pieces and move on. I know where I get my strength."
Murdock said both Jenny and Joshua were in agreement they were making the right decision, and the family was there supporting them, especially in the last year and a half.
"We all believe God is the author of life … and it is not our decision to make," Murdock said. "[Jenny] said, 'whether she lives or dies she will not abort her baby,'" Murdock recalled. "So you could say she gave her life for him."
Gabriel turned 1 year old in January.
More of Jenny's story and a journal she kept can be found at caringbridge.org/visit/jennycarlisle. Donations for Joshua, Hannah, Isaac, Sarah Grace and Gabriel can be made at jennycarlisle.com or to the Jenny Carlisle Benefit Fund at S M South Bank of Nashville, Tenn.