A drive down Main Street in Frederick with Jay McPherson towards the Operation C.A.R.E. building where he fulfills his passion to serve others reveals a deep connection the McPherson family has in the community.
McPherson’s great-grandfather Charles rode along in the Great Wolf Hunt with Jack Abernathy and President Theodore Roosevelt in 1905. Grandfather Joe owned a car dealership and was a businessman in town. McPherson’s dad is a long-time farmer in the area and his mother owns Charlotte’s Bargain Door, across the street from Operation C.A.R.E. His parents, Joe and Charlotte McPherson, were recently named Frederick’s Citizens of the Year for their activity and volunteerism in the community.
It’s in this family and community that McPherson found his strength when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. The specific diagnosis was hamartoma, which is a noncancerous abnormal growth of brain tissue. From the age of five, when he had a biopsy, to the age of 21, when he had the growth removed, he said he was never scared.
“I knew my parents loved me. I knew something was going on, but it was just part of my life. Part of my growing up was regular doctor visits. I wasn’t scared. My parents have made my life awesome,” McPherson said. In turn, his greatest desire is to minister to other people.
McPherson’s story began on May 3, 1978, at Frederick Memorial Hospital. He became the younger brother of Betsy and eventually the older brother of Heather. A warm smile breaks across his face while talking about his family, which now includes three nephews and a niece. McPherson’s smile is his signature feature. It’s there whether he’s talking about family, his medical experiences, his friends, his career or the many mentors he credits for influencing his life.
At the age of five, McPherson said he began to freeze up and would have a random laugh. Medical tests revealed the tumor, and he underwent a biopsy procedure. The decision was made to not remove the growth due to the risk of totally losing his vision.
“The doctors didn’t know what was going to happen,” he said. “They didn’t know if I was going to live or die.”
Part of McPherson’s medical treatment included receiving care at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital. In the beginning, the family would travel to Missouri every three months, then every six months and it finally became an annual visit. One of his favorite memories as a young teenager was being able to sit in the dugout at a St. Louis Cardinals baseball game, as part of a collaborative program between the hospital and the Major League Baseball team for children receiving treatment.
The memory brought out one of McPherson’s big smiles. “I got to sit in the dugout with Ozzie Smith. We talked and I got his autograph,” he said.
A challenging consequence of not having the tumor removed was not knowing when he would have seizures. McPherson said that from the ages of about 16 to 21, seizures became more prevalent and affected his ability to drive. Before the surgery he wrote for the high school newspaper under the direction of Joe Wynn and graduated from FHS in 1996. He attended Cameron University and chose to major in public relations and journalism, “because I always wanted to find out the truth about things.”
In 1999, when he was 21 and after about three years of college, McPherson, with the support of his parents, decided to have the brain tumor removed. He suffered a post-operative stroke and had to relearn to use the right side of his body. In addition, an optical nerve in his left eye was bruised and resulted in him not being able to open the eyelid.
McPherson said he tried to resume his studies at Cameron, but had challenges with his schoolwork. He continued freelancing for news media outlets and pursuing volunteer opportunities. He also became involved in politics as a campaign manager for a Frederick City Council candidate and worked for Rep. Trey Caldwell’s campaign for Oklahoma’s House of Representatives.
“God used tragic circumstances to lead me to a deeper faith in Christ, McPherson said. “He opened doors for me to serve in the ministry. It’s important to know how to lead and to serve others – to look for giving opportunities. People are facing real situations that they need help with.”
In addition to serving with Operation C.A.R.E. of Tillman County, McPherson has also served in other countries through three mission trips with First Baptist Church of Frederick. His most recent trip was to Ecuador, and he also has traveled to Mexico and South Africa.
“I love people,” he said, “but you have to be prepared for them to not receive the message you are trying to bring.”
When talking about what he does with Operation C.A.R.E., the big smile returns, and McPherson’s enthusiasm is obvious. “C.A.R.E. stands for Christians Assisting Resourcing and Encouraging. Our mission is to provide hope through the transforming love of Jesus Christ. I’m a life coach under the supervision of Director Douglas Simpson. I get to put my public relations skills to work by organizing the annual golf scramble,” he said.
In addition to helping those addicted to narcotics, alcohol, tobacco, food, and/or gambling, Operation C.A.R.E., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, assists community members with utility expenses, prescriptions, hygiene, clothing, food, health, dental and eye care, obtaining identification and birth certificates, GED tutoring and testing, emergency lodging and travel expenses as well as budget planning classes, the organization’s website states.
“I love my life. I love people. God can take any circumstances or challenges and work them for good. Proverbs 16:9 says that ‘The heart of a man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps.’ God has established my steps,” McPherson said. He then punctuated the statement with his big smile.