‘A Prayer for Zoey’: Jackie and Lamont Pickens and the Love of a Caregiving Family
By Don Rhodes II | The Birmingham Times
Every morning for Lamont and Jackie Pickens begins with prayer. Lamont finds a quiet place in their Pinson home, his secret place early in the morning, “before anyone wakes up, and I pray over Zoey,” he said.
“I ask God’s Holy Spirit to send its spirit of comfort to her,” Lamont added, speaking about their 4-year-old daughter, Zoey, who was diagnosed at 6 months old with CDKL5, a rare neurodevelopmental condition that is characterized by early onset epilepsy (seizures) and developmental challenges.
For the Pickens family, faith and love have become their guiding light.
“I pray that God gives my wife and me supernatural wisdom and strength to be able to take good care of Zoey, so she’s healthy and happy,” Lamont said. “I also pray that God gives wisdom and understanding to all the individuals in direct care of Zoey — her teachers, her therapists, her social workers — and that they’re truly called to care for her.”
November is National Family Caregivers Month, a time to recognize and honor those who support loved ones with chronic illnesses, disabilities, or other needs.
A report released in July 2025 by AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving shows that nearly one in four adults — 63 million Americans — provided care for an adult or child with a complex medical condition or disability in the past year. That is an increase of 20 million over the last 10 years, and this number is expected to continue to increase as the population ages.
African American families have the highest prevalence of caregiving in the U.S. and are often in high-intensity roles that require regular interaction with health care providers. They also tend to be younger caregivers and more often have children at home while caregiving.
A Day in the Life of Zoey
After prayer, the day turns into a routine that is full of precision and caution. Jackie, who is a licensed social worker, gets Zoey ready for school.
“Zoey is full care,” Lamont explained. “She is on a feeding tube, [which is] a miracle of modern medicine, a miracle that God has permitted humans to possess. She’s not able to take food by mouth like the rest of us, so she gets all her nutrition through her [gastronomy tube (G-tube)].”
Once she’s dressed and ready, Lamont, Zoey, and her older brother, Miles, head out the door around 6 a.m. Lamont does the morning drop-offs. The first stop is Hand in Hand Early Development Center in Birmingham, where Zoey attends pre-K.
“Hand in Hand is wonderful,” Lamont said of the program, which is run by United Ability. This “state-of-the art early learning program for children and families … is a place where children of all abilities learn, play, and grow together to develop understanding, acceptance, and caring for one another.”
He added, “You can feel that everyone [at the center], from the custodians on up to the administrators, is doing God’s work. They’ve been truly called to minister to these special needs children.”
At Hand in Hand, Zoey receives physical, occupational, and speech therapy. On Wednesdays, Jackie takes her to additional speech therapy in Homewood, Alabama.
“On weekends, Zoey goes wherever her family goes and loves being part of everything,” Jackie said.
While every day begins with faith, every day also brings new challenges. Recently, Zoey started eating a ketogenic diet, consisting of low-carbohydrate and high-fat foods, to help with her seizures and alertness in general.
“Since she started the keto diet, all her meds had to be reformulated from liquid to pill form,” Lamont said. “We have to crush them, mix them with water, and administer them through her G-tube. Something that would take five minutes previously now takes between 15 and 20 minutes, three times daily.”
Those minutes matter, especially for a family that is constantly balancing doctor appointments, therapy sessions, and after-school activities, including football and piano for 6-year-old Miles.
“Zoey has more doctor appointments than most adults,” Lamont said. “Neurology, [gastrointestinal (GI)], physical therapy, speech, nutritionists —there’s a lot to keep up with. But we do it because she deserves the best care possible.”
“She is getting sturdier, but that makes it tougher,” he added. “Changing her diaper or bathing her takes both of us now. A lot of places don’t even have changing tables big enough for her, so sometimes we’ve had to get creative, like changing her in the back of the SUV.”
Lamont and Jackie often also have sleepless nights.
“We sleep with our door open and one ear open,” Lamont said. “If she seizures or kicks her blankets off, we have to get up and turn her. That’s why we’re praying for funding to be able to pay for an overnight sitter, just to be able to keep her safe while she sleeps.”
Love, Faith, and Community Support
The couple says love and faith are what sustain them.
“The most difficult thing was accepting Zoey’s condition and understanding that there was nothing we could have done to prevent it,” Jackie said. “She can’t do anything on her own, so it takes more time and energy. But the rewards have been how strong we are as a family. All the small victories give us hope.”
Lamont agreed, saying that their belief in God has been their rock. “It is only through Jesus that we can have a healthy marriage and family,” he said. “We depend a lot on prayer and on the Holy Spirit to make us strong.”
Even Miles has been affected by Zoey’s experience. “It has softened his heart,” Lamont said. “He feels so much empathy for people now. He understands what it is to care.”
Jackie acknowledges they would not be where they are today without community support.
“The most helpful support other than family is from Hand in Hand, Children’s Rehabilitation Services, [a program of the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services], and Zoey being on Alabama Medicaid,” she said. “Our church, Church of the Highlands, has also been a blessing. They’ve surrounded us with love and prayer.”
Lamont added, “We want other special needs families to know about the resources available to them. People have shared information with us that’s been life-changing, and we want to pay that forward.”
For families just beginning their journey with a child with a rare condition, Lamont has heartfelt advice. “First, stop and breathe,” he said. “Cry if you have to, but just for a little bit. Speak over yourself that you got this, that you are strong enough. Take your child’s hand and walk with them through the frightening times. God’s got you, and He’ll give you the strength to be the miracle your child needs.”
Jackie shared a similar message of love and resilience. “Take it one day at a time,” she said. “Use the love you have for your child as your strength. Zoey didn’t ask to be here, to be like this. It’s our job to ensure that she has a good life no matter what.”
For information about education and services or relief for family caregivers, such as food, transportation, and much more, visit https://www.findhelp.org, which includes a search engine of services by ZIP code and in various languages.
Caring for a parent, spouse, or other loved one can be a 24/7 job that is emotionally, physically, and financially difficult — that’s why AARP works tirelessly to support family caregivers, striving to make your big responsibilities a little bit easier. Visit https://states.aarp.org/alabama/supporting-family-caregivers-in-alabama for information and resources.
challenges. Zoey’s brother, Miles, is in the background. (Amarr Croskey, For The Birmingham Times)
