His name is Jarek, we assume, because Job was already taken.
Just 27 years old, Jarek Barnett of Mililani has endured a seeming lifetime of trials without surrendering an inch of his expansive faith in the goodness of the world.
Barnett was just weeks into his senior year at Mililani High School when he suffered a debilitating stroke while napping at home.
The stroke initially left Barnett completely paralyzed on the right side of his body. He spent a month in the pediatric intensive care unit at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women &Children before transferring to the Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific.
Just as Barnett was regaining control of his damaged body, doctors uncovered a serious heart condition. Without a transplant, they said, he would be dead within a few weeks.
“It happened so suddenly I couldn’t comprehend it,” Barnett said.
Barnett was rushed by air ambulance to UCLA Medical Center, where by bittersweet chance he was quickly matched with a donor. Within a day, he had a new heart and a new chance at life.
Even before his health problems, Barnett had demonstrated an impressive work ethic. He had worked continuously from age 7, delivering newspapers, cleaning classrooms, working as a cook at a Japanese restaurant and repairing bicycles at Bike Works.
And because he had attended summer school every year, Barnett had only to complete a single English class to earn his diploma, which he did with the help of a tutor.
Barnett went on to earn an associate degree in liberal arts from Leeward Community College, complete the human services program at Honolulu Community College, and graduate with a bachelor’s degree in public administration with a concentration in health care from the University of Hawaii-West Oahu.
Five years ago, Barnett signed up as a volunteer at the Ronald McDonald House Family Room at Kapiolani, a respite area for family of seriously ill children that his own father used while he was recovering from his stroke.
But just a week before he was to start, Barnett was struck by a car driven by a drunken driver at Ala Moana Center.
Barnett’s wheelchair absorbed much of the impact but Barnett suffered lacerations and a broken nose. Undaunted, he showed up for his volunteer gig as scheduled.
Barnett continued to work as a volunteer coordinator for the facility until this month, when he was brought aboard as a paid employee.
“I want to be able to help people the way my family and I have been helped, and that’s what I’ve been able to do here,” Barnett says. “I’m thankful to Ronald McDonald House and Kapiolani Medical Center for the opportunity to give back.”
Reach Michael Tsai at mtsai@staradvertiser.com.
