Payton Baggett Reporting
news@clarksvillenow.com

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – At just 18 years old, Clarksville native Jakia Cheatham is not only a published author, but also an inspiring survivor of childhood illness.

She will be celebrating with a book launch and banquet on August 2 at the Riverview Inn, located at 50 College Street, with the signing starting at 10 a.m. and the banquet beginning at 5 p.m. The banquet will be a “Black and White Affair”, complete with a red carpet and paparazzi. Guest singers and speakers will be present, including Pennsylvania scoliosis specialist, Dr. Clayton Stitzel. Tickets for the event are $25, which includes a meal.

Though she was diagnosed with scoliosis at the age of 9, Jakia’s condition became the most severe when she was 16. She has had four surgeries in the past year, and during that time she started and finished her memoir, “Bent, But Not Broken.” She described the book, saying, “It outlines my life and my faith with God. It goes into everything I went through, from the surgery to how the anesthesia made me feel. It’s all in there, and it really helps a young person to know what to expect when they’re going into surgery and how to keep your faith throughout the surgery.”

Jakia said that she was motivated to share her journey in the book as a way of giving hope to other teens and young girls in similar situations.

Raised in a religious family, Jakia has been involved in the church her entire life. She talked about the influence of her grandfather, pastor at Woodlawn Elizabeth Missionary Baptist Church, saying “he has influenced my teaching and everything about me.”

In addition to her book, Jakia started a group called Church Girls Ministry that gathers young Christian women together to do activities where they can express their faith. The young author also composes bible studies and began studying Youth Ministry and Theology online in June through Grand Canyon University in Arizona. Her future career plans include writing more books and inspirational speaking.

For more information about Jakia and her ministries, visit her official website.

To purchase tickets to the book launch banquet, call 931-302-2131.