Dear Friends,

Our family is devastated at this news...

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Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones On Life Support

Congresswoman From Cleveland Hospitalized After Suffering Aneurysm

Aug. 20, 2008
13:00 hours

(CBS) This story was written by CBS News reporter Ryan Corsaro.


Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, D-Ohio, is reported to have suffered an aneurysm and is not expected to recover, according to CBS affiliate WOIO in Cleveland.

WOIO also reported that the congresswoman is on life support at this time.

The station reported today that she was transported overnight to Huron Hospital in Cleveland after police found her in her car last evening.

The congresswoman's office said in statement that she suffered the aneurysm while driving her car in Cleveland Heights, Ohio last night and that she "has stabilized and she is receiving the best care available."

The congresswoman's office would not confirm that she is on life support.

Tubbs Jones was first elected in 1998, becoming the first black woman to represent Ohio in Congress. She represents Ohio's 11th district.

She was set to be a superdelegate at next week's Democratic National Convention in Denver.

Tubbs Jones was one of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's biggest boosters during the primaries, then threw her support to Sen. Barack Obama in June.


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According to the best information, last evening about 9:00 pm our friend and Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs-Jones was driving her Chrysler 300 eastbound on Mayfield Road after a full day of activity. A patrolling Cleveland Heights Police Officer spotted the Congresswoman driving erratically and followed her. She was found unconscious behind the wheel of her car after the vehicle rolled from the northbound lanes across the southbound lanes. The officer pulled his cruiser across the roadway to warn traffic and called for an ambulance.

Congresswoman Tubbs Jones spent a busy day Tuesday including planning for an upcoming forum on electoral reform at Cleveland State University. She was scheduled to travel to Denver on August 24, 2008 to attend the Democratic National Convention as a superdelegate.

It was my great pleasure to work closely with Stephanie on the Hillary Clinton campaign and other projects in our congressional district.

Your prayers and support are important to us,

Debbie



Our Dear Friend Stephanie Tubbs Jones...

Sparky,Debbie,and Lin-

I am so sorry for the loss of your dear friend.

My prayers are with you as always.

Debbie, we are very saddened by the death of your friend. We understand how involved you and Sparky were in Hillary's campaign and what Ms. Jones must have meant to you.

Debbie, Sparky, and Lindell,

My sincere condolences on the loss of this great lady who was also your friend.

John III

Lin, Debbie, and Sparky,

What a shame and my sincere condolences to you all and all the members of your community. What an inspiration she was to so many people.

Steve

My condolences to Debbie, Sparky and Lin for the loss of your good friend. You will all be in my thoughts and prayers.

Remember all her accomplishment which are for us all to build on are nothing to the challenges she will take on in the herafter. What a life and what a legacy!

Thank you for your kindness.

Words cannot express the love and admiration I have for Stephanie.

I had the pleasure of working with Stephanie during the Ohio Primaries and at local political functions. I also spent time with her along the campaign trail while working for Hillary. Stephanie was always full of energy and a dynamic speaker. Everyone, and I mean everyone, at every event crowded around Stephanie to speak with her. There would be elected officials, candidates running for public office, and just ordinary people. And Stephanie would speak with them all!

There were several occasions when I was personally recognized by Stephanie for my involvement in the political process. I would like to share a few of my memories of Stephanie with you.

I attended various meetings at Stephanie's Campaign office in preparation for Hillary's Campaign office opening. On February 14th, the night before Hillary was scheduled to speak at Brush High School (a local high school), I was at Stephanie's office helping to get the event organized.

The next day when mom and I arrived at the high school, one of Stephanie's workers told me to come with her as Stephanie had reserved a seat especially for me! I sat in the bleachers directly behind Hillary and I appeared on television. After the event, Stephanie told me to go to a certain corner of the gym. I didn't understand why I could not stay where I was because I wanted to meet Hillary. My mom had been doing other behind the scenes activities and was also told to go to that corner where we eventually met. I told my mom I really wanted to meet with Hillary, mom told me she believed that we would but in a different area, this was confirmed by a woman from Sherron Brown's office.

We were taken to a room where many elected officials as well as preachers, volunteers and a group of high school students that were being recognized for their scholastic achievements waited in anticipation to meet Hillary. Then some official told us the secret service would not permit Hillary to come in because there were "too many people so the volunteers and students must leave" but when Stephanie heard about that, she took action. No one was going to leave, Stephanie made sure that no one had to leave and then Hillary came into the room!


Here is my picture of that day with Hillary

Stephanie Tubbs Jones walked into the Hillary Clinton Campaign Office in Indianapolis on May 5th and gave a general greeting as she entered. Then she suddenly stopped. She enthusiastically and loudly cried out...

"HELLO SPARKY!!!!!!"

The purpose of Stephanie's visit was to give a pep talk to the volunteers for Hillary.

The Hillary staffers wanted Stephanie to get started on her pep talk. Stephanie emphatically stated that she "had to talk to my girl Sparky".

When Stephanie began her speech this is how it started:

"Obama claims he has youth on his side. Well, Hillary does too! She continued...

If you have not had the opportunity to meet Sparky here (and I received a big hug),
who is just 13 years old and has worked on the Hillary for President Campaign
in New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and now here in Indiana, please stop by
and say hello to Sparky."

Stephanie went on to tell the volunteers why she supported Hillary. As always Stephanie was passionate, enthusiastic and energetic in her praise of Hillary's accomplishments.

Stephanie closed by saying...

"I am proud to be a politician! I am proud to serve!"

Stephanie then sat down with me and spent a long time commenting on the pictures in my scrap book of my adventures along the campaign trail (then it was 4 inches thick, now its over 5). Stephanie told me she was grateful for all of my dedication and hard work.


Here is a picture of us taken in Indiana

A few months earlier I attended a Candidate Night's Forum that Stephanie hosted in which she introduced candidates running for public office to the audience. The candidates were each given two minutes to explain why they felt they were the best qualified for the position they were running for. After every candidate who was running for that one particular office spoke, Stephanie would tell the audience why she supported a particular candidate. The vast majority of the candidates gave praise to Stephanie for inspiring them to get into public life by her examples. Many of those candidates had also worked with Stephanie on various projects to help the community. It was nice to hear all the great comments and special recognition given to Stephanie for her accomplishments from the candidates.

When the candidates discussion was over, Stephanie introduced a group of high school students and congratulated them for getting involved in the political process. Then Stephanie noticed I was not up there on stage and called me up. I told Stephanie that I was not yet in high school but Stephanie said it didn't matter. Stephanie said that I must be recognized for my efforts as well!

Always remembering EVERYONE.

Always making everyone feel important and SPECIAL!

This is how I will always remember my friend Stephanie Tubbs Jones.



Here is a picture of us from that Candidate's Night

Sparky,

What a beautiful testimony to your friendship with Stephanie.
I can see in your words a reflection of the qualities that you admire in your friend...I'm sure she's proud to know she helped instill them in you.

What a moving and powerful story! Thank you for sharing!