She stands in our minds now – as she did then – as a sparkling portrait of courage, of vigor, of love, of life in the face of unconquerable odds. Of grace under the grimness of circumstance.
Her name was Julia Marlane Lyons – affectionately nicknamed “Jewels” – and she is the eponymous inspiration for the JWLS brand. The sister of JWLS founder Emily Lyons, Julia passed away in 2011 after a long, hard-fought battle with cystic fibrosis. She underwent double-lung transplants – twice – and countless hospital stays. And, finally, there was the incalculable loss – leaving an indelible void in the hearts and minds of many. Through it all, her beautiful, fairy-like, irresistible energy shone – and shone brightly.
JWLS is one way we advance Julia’s laurels through the years ahead. The world at large may never suffer Julia’s sorrows. It may never know all her little joys and her precious moments and unspoken thoughts. It will never love all the things she loved – or fear the things she feared.