He was a miracle! He was an Angel! Then one day he was gone. The doctors had no explanation and could offer no comfort. Who would have thought that after three open heart surgeries that it would be a basic dental procedure to claim the life of four year old Jermaine Lee Harrison, Jr. Now that he is no longer with her, Dominique Smith, Jermaine’s grieving mother, must endure the pains of homelessness as well.

Dominique Smith did everything she could for her child. She spent countless sleepless nights by her baby boy’s side ensuring that Jermaine Jr. received the best care possible. Originally from Sacramento, California, Dominique was forced to move to the Bay Area for over a year and a half in order to be closer to the doctors that cared for her son. When the answer to all of little Jermaine’s issues came in the form of a Pace Maker, Dominique did not think about cost…she thought about saving her child. Although he was still receiving regular check-ups at Ronald McDonald Hospital, Jermaine was able to start Pre-school and start the life most normal children enjoy. So when it was time for little Jermaine to get a dental appointment no one thought it would turn out for the worse.

To start, because of Jermaine’s health condition, no dentist would agree see him and no insurance company would dare to cover him. Dominique, after being turned down so many times, finally went back to the doctors to plead for her child. One of the medical doctors finally agreed to get her an appointment at the Oakland Children’s Hospital after a three month waiting period. That November, Dominique was asked to bring Jermaine in to the dental office for some x-rays and was scheduled to undergo two teeth extractions and cap placement. For the procedure, the dentist was accompanied by two cardiologist, two anesthesiologists and one Intensive Care Unit doctor. So when the dentist returned with a social worker she knew something was not right. “Something went wrong…we are so sorry…we don’t know what happened” is all they could tell her.

So now, not only does the family of Jermaine Lee Harrison jr. have to endure the loss of a precious little boy but pregnant Dominique and her one year daughter are homeless…having spent most of their money on medical bills meant to keep little Jermaine alive. In the end they are left with no money, no home but most of all….no Jermaine.

One of her family members states, “With no place to stay her and her kids I just ask God to take this pain from her and bless her with a home for her and her kids and closure of what went wrong or what happen”.

If you would like help Dominique and her family, you may do so by sending donations here: