About

Jacob Wilson was a bright, happy, loving, and considerate child. He fought his way into the world 2 months before his due date. He enjoyed ballet, scouts, wilderness survival, band, and helping others. He never failed to give me a hug or tell me he loved me even in front of his teenage friends.  As an adult, he worked hard, was a scout leader, enjoyed helping others and taking in strays, both 2 legged and 4 legged. For the most part he was happy and successful. He wanted a love for all times. He thought he had found that and when she left him, he couldn’t bear it and at the young age of 21 took his own life.

I believe he may have had Borderline Personality Disorder but wasn’t diagnosed. It was after his death that I was made aware of the symptoms of BPD. His life took a turn in his last year or so. He was using marijuana and other natural substances, reckless on dirt bikes, got crazy speeding tickets, and felt like his life depended on his girlfriend staying forever. At the same time, he had a job, paid his bills, helped his friends, and loved his family. He was worried he wasn’t successful as an adult because he made bad choices and mistakes sometimes like overdrawing his bank account because his check wasn’t deposited when it was supposed to be or his car would tear up, or he lost a lot of things he had bought when his first home on his own as an adult was broken into. It also hit him hard when his grandfather passed away six months earlier. Most people just accept these things as mistakes or part of life. He felt like they were his failures.

We bought the house next door for him to rent and were watching him closely because the first time the relationship ended with this person, he was devastated. On the day he shot himself, I got a call from his friend to go check on him and ran from my house to his. I got halfway when he pulled the trigger and bled out on the front steps.

He left a video on his phone telling everyone he loved them and saying goodbye. He said his life was over, everything was gone, because she left.

I am telling you this because the night before he was happy, hugged me and told me he loved me, had stopped using marijuana for 6 weeks and was clean in anticipation of starting a new job, and had just rescued 2 kittens and was trying to find them a home. His friend that had needed a place to stay had moved out the week before to start a new life and his girlfriend who promised him she was staying with him forever was still there. Less than 24 hours later, he was gone.

 We gave donations to his high school band in lieu of flowers at his memorial.  We also encouraged donations to scouting in his honor.  We printed magnets to give out at the memorial with the suicide prevention lifeline information and his picture to help others who may need it.  Eddie sponsored fundraisers on Jacob’s birthdays to raise money for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.  After 2  years, I began to come out of the darkness.  I wanted to do something more to carry on his generous nature, his kindness to others. One in a Billion was born. The first 3 projects are in his honor.

We realize that the goal of selling 1 billion items in our lifetime is lofty and may pass to the next generation, or even the next. That will not deter us.  It is our greatest hope that the journey never ends and that future generations will carry on the legacy. 

When we have completed the first 3 projects and maybe 1 or 2 more, we want to open the floor to projects from other areas. We want to be transparent with all of the projects to assist others in creating projects of their own. It is important to us to share both the money and information with other nonprofits, things that worked and others that didn’t. I hope you join us on our journey to be One in a Billion.