And Then There Were Three: Jayna Grassel Turns In Her Shoes

One of the most extraordinary people I have ever met is my roommate Jayna Grassel. Only 21 years old, Jayna has already done what so many people only dream about: she is the CEO and creator of her very own hat-crocheting company, JJCrochet. Jayna creates and sells beautifully designed hats and scarves. But what is more amazing to me is the story behind the yarn.

Jayna suffered from severe scoliosis when she was younger. She had to undergo surgery to treat it, and was bedridden for much of the recovery.With nothing to do but lay in bed, Jayna crocheted, a skill she learned when she was eight. She kept it up, and JJCrochet was born.

We were worried about Jayna’s back when we started training. She has two rods in there, fondly nicknamed Rodney and Lysander. We soon discovered, however, that what we should have been worried about was her feet:



A Gruesome Run Leaves Jayna's Feet in Ruins

 

Jayna, we’ve decided, is plagued by a rare and dangerous quirk- her feet bleed, for no apparent reason.

After finishing a four mile run the other day, Jayna came home and took off her shoes- only to realize her socks were drenched in blood. She took off her socks, looking for the blister or gaging wound that had caused the crimson damage, but to no avail. There were no blisters, no cuts, no sign of sores- only blood leaking between her toes.

Later on, after panicking and wondering what kind of severe disease Jayna could have contracted that would cause her to sweat blood, we did discover a small cut on her foot. But nothing that should have produced such a large amount of blood. Overall, this injury remains a mystery to us.

Needless to say, Jayna will not be running the half marathon with us this weekend, her reason found in the Gospel of Mark: “The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak”.

We’ll miss you, Jayna!