Meet S. Devon Jorden

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to S. Devon Jorden. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

S. Devon, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

My purpose, to share Waiting Room the Seanton Jorden Story with the world, was found through the tragic incident that occurred on June 11, 2010, when my son, who was 15 at the time, suffered a traumatic brain injury from a pellet gunshot to the head. From this point on my purpose was birthed. Though it didn’t come immediately, in time, I wanted the world to know that triumph over tragedy was possible, and from this triumph came the purpose of helping others overcome tragic situations.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

In 2010, my son Seanton Jorden, who was 15 years old at the time, was playing video games at a friend’s house in our neighborhood. This was something he had done many times in the past, as this was one of the things he loved to do. Earlier that day, my son’s friend had used his pellet gun, which he had gotten for his birthday earlier that year. Usually, after he and his uncle or dad would use the gun, they would put it up. On this particular day, Friday, June 11, it was left in the room with the boys, my son, his friend who owned the gun and resided at the house, and another friend. The other friend, with whom my son was good friends, picked up the pellet gun while they were playing video games, pointed it at my son’s head, at point-blank range, and pulled the trigger. The pellet gun caused a traumatic brain injury, shattering into pieces inside my son’s brain. He was rushed via life flight to Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, Texas, where he had to have emergency surgery to relieve the pressure in his brain. He survived the surgery, but after 3 months in the ICU, and another 6 months in rehabilitation facilities, my son came home, in a vegetative state, unable to walk, talk, or respond to commands, and required 24 hours of around-the-clock care. Our hope was that our son would fully recover, but when he didn’t, it took a toll on our family, which included my wife, Latrice Jorden, and my daughter, Paris Jorden, who at the time was 11 years old. Our strong faith-filled family was now dealing with doubt and despair, depression and confusion. Ultimately, by the grace of God, I decided that I did not want my son’s story to be just another tragedy. I had a vision to have my son’s story told on the stage, via a play, and I reached out to good friends of mine who were a part of a dynamic theater arts ministry called KHTB Productions. They agreed to produce a play that would tell of our son’s powerful story, before his injury and how passionate he was about helping others, and the tumultuous days afterward, to help others who have gone through difficult situations in life know that you can triumph over tragedy. In the process of producing the stage play, KHTB Productions and my family decided to pursue a mission called A2P, which stands for Awareness to Prevention, educating children, youth, and adults on gun safety and traumatic brain injury. Through this mission, we hope that there may be a paradigm shift in how we view gun safety, making it a priority for those who choose to own a gun. Also, educating people about traumatic brain injury and how to help prevent them from occurring. I’ve since also written a book, with the same title as the stage play that was produced and was a tremendous hit in 2023, called Waiting Room, The Seanton Jorden Story, which is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Walmart, and wherever books are sold online. This is how I came to find my purpose.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

I think that the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that have helped me on my journey have been the ability to use my writing as a release and comfort for me during the most difficult days of my son’s hospital stay, and once he came home. The script for the stage play and my book were birthed from the journals I wrote daily in a blog called Caringbridge. Second, would be the power of prayer. Prayer was the only thing that I could grasp when I felt that I was at my wit’s end during the early days of my son’s injury. Seeking God gave me peace in the midst of a horrible storm, and without it, I probably would not be here today. Lastly, the power of collaboration. The friendship that I developed with Teresa Bell and Kimberly Hicks/Dillman of KHTB Productions years ago, propelled me to inquire with them about helping me tell my story on the stage. From the request, a dynamic mission has been birthed that will hopefully save many lives. The only advice I would give to individuals who might be on a similar journey is even when you feel that your dream or your vision will not come to pass, continue to write about it, continue to pray, and continue to connect with those who can align with your vision to help you bring it to pass. It will happen if you believe it!

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

My biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months, and even over the last 24 months, has been the ability to tell my story in an impactful way, engaging with audiences via social media or in person. Before the months leading up to the stage play Waiting Room, the Seanton Jorden Story, it was still difficult for me to tell my story due to the pain it would invoke in me, remembering those dark and difficult days. Still, the more I told it, and the more I saw that my story was positively impacting so many people, my confidence and resilience grew, and the growth in me was truly evident.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.seantonsstory.com
• Instagram: @seantonsstory
• Facebook: Waiting Room The Seanton Jorden Story
• Other: Tiktok-SeantonsStory

Image Credits

Not applicable