Ivett Jackson: A rape, an abortion, abuse, and new lease on life

IVETT Jackson’s contagious laugh and bright outlook on life belie the trials she has had to endure for the greater part of her 59 years.

She has gone through being raped by her stepfather at age 13, being an ignorant participant in an abortion, shedding tears almost daily for 18 years in a 35-year-long marriage, overcoming breast cancer, and coming face to face with death. Today she has risen to reclaim her life and empower others.

Jackson, who now resides in the United States, shared her story with All Woman last week during her month-long visit to Jamaica, her native country.

On being raped:

“When my sister left Jamaica I was 13 years old. She left her son with her father — we have different fathers. And my stepfather’s wife left and did not want to take care of the child. So my stepfather came to my mother and asked if I could come and take care of the little boy and his daughter so my mom sent me.”

She said one night he came into her room while she slept and she woke up to feel something pressing against her leg.

“I started hitting, biting, screaming and he said it was raining so he came in to keep me company. But it was his penis that was sticking me on my leg.”

She said he went away because she was fighting, but returned after.

“This time he covered my mouth and held me around my waist so he succeeded in raping me,” she recalled.

The only other persons in the house were her nine-year-old nephew and her stepfather’s 10-year-old daughter.

“I got pregnant. I didn’t know I was pregnant at the time. But I remember I ate a soft boiled egg and I was throwing up. I felt nauseous. I didn’t know this at the time but he called my cousin and she came and gave me some concoction to drink. They said it was a laxative and of course a 13 year old child from the country is a little baby…”

She said she instantly blocked the incident from her mind. But when he met her husband in her 20s and was living in America, the memory came back.

They were watching television when she saw an actor playing a child’s family member rape the child. She then had her first recollection but she immediately blocked it out again, telling herself the same thing did not happen to her.

“But occasionally, every year or two, something pops up and I put it back and it pops up again. And when I was 50, I could not put it back anymore and so I remembered my cousin being in the picture ’cause then I remembered the pregnancy. I remembered the concoction. I remember the blood clot that dropped in the toilet, I remember all of that. So I called my cousin — my stepfather was dead by this and that is a good thing. So I called my cousin and I asked her about it.”

Her cousin confessed to everything, except being the one to administer the concoction which caused the abortion.

“I had blocked it out for 35 to 40 years,” Jackson said.

On being an author, model, and actress:

“When I remembered I wrote my book The Journey. It tells of my journey from I was three in kindergarten until I got divorced. My life was a journey but through it all God kept me,” she said.

She later did her second book, parts of which were a continuation from the first book, in which she had left readers hanging. This is currently with the publishers after being revised in 2009.

Jackson said she is currently working on her third book which is a documentary Built to Last, a compilation of experiences from persons around the world. She hopes to gather some 250 stories.

So far she has stories from the United Kingdom, Lithuania, Israel, Jamaica, The Philippines, Germany, Trinidad and a number of states in the America.

Jackson, who also worked as a caregiver nurse and nursing assistant in a United States hospital, said she had to drop out of school while studying to be a registered nurse, when her mother took ill years ago. She gave up this profession a year ago to push her book and launch out fully into modelling and acting

She said she has appeared in the television series Burn Notice, appearing in approximately 10 episodes playing various roles like an ICU nurse, a tourist and a shopper, among other roles.

“I get good upfront parts. I just got off the set before I got here,” she said.

She also appeared in films like Daddy’s Girlfriend and Jack and Jill, slated to be in theatres next month.

She has done print ads for various overseas companies and is looking forward to doing runway for an overseas magazine.

“I play a lot of roles but I can’t do grandmother,” Jackson laughed loudly. “They say I don’t look old enough!”

Despite her numerous appearances in films and television, the 59-year-old mother of one only entered the acting field four years ago.

“The casting for Jack and Jill was 4,000 persons and I was booked by the time I walked in because they liked my look. One of the producers looked and me and told me I was booked before I did anything. I am having fun, I am having a ball!”

On overcoming breast cancer:

“The stress from my marriage gave me breast cancer,” she said convincingly. “Yes, I was hurt to the core. I wanted to let it go but I couldn’t ’cause I loved him so much. But I am healed from breast cancer eight years now. I am a winner. I am a victor of breast cancer and an abusive marriage.”

She told of going to the doctor for her regular mammogram at 50, and discovering the lump. But it was not diagnosed as cancer. After other tests, the tumor was finally found and tested to in fact be cancerous. She had to undergo a six-hour operation in which she removed the breast against doctors’ instructions not to.

“I told them to do the mastectomy. I took a red marker and marked my breast myself ’cause I did not want them to take off the wrong breast,” she laughed. “Today I don’t even remember I had cancer. I have been healed of it.”

On an abusive marriage and cheating death:

Jackson said her husband was a ‘player’ and ‘con man’ who played her for 18 years.

“My husband played me and he played me for 18 long years. It was the last 18 years that I figured out who my husband was. But I loved him and I couldn’t let go so I said ‘let’s work the marriage out’. When 25 years came I said ‘let’s make believe we didn’t meet. Let’s turn a new page. Let’s renew our vows’. He changed, but for the worse, until I felt like I would kill him. Because he got in my head, he got in my heart and he got in my spirit and he was getting in my soul where only God belonged. And God spoke to me and said, ‘ask John to leave’. And I asked him to leave, and he left.”

She admitted that while she sees herself as a strong person, she cried a lot during her marriage.

In 2001, while on her way to church, she got to a traffic light and ran under a 18 wheeler trailer. Her car was crushed beyond recognition but she came out with only her stocking ripped and a broken fingernail.

“When I came to I thought I was dead. I saw the two white airbags and swore I was looking at two angels,” she recalled. “The car was totally demolished. It was a literal miracle that I was not crushed in the car. I can’t even explain it. All I know is that God saved me.”

Having gone through rape, an abortion, an abusive marriage and coming face to face with death, Jackson said the only pain she went through that she could not manage was her marriage.

“I take control of pain and rule it. But I couldn’t do the marriage one. I couldn’t. That one beat the crap out of me. That one got me. It got me big and it got me good. But I am healed now — completely healed from every emotional pain.”

Despite her marriage being over for 18 years, she only got a divorce a year ago. She has been a Christian for 18 years.

Today she has a ministry in which she inspires men and women who have been through abuse.

“I tell people, abuse does not define you. You don’t need anyone to validate you. You have to just push and get over it. Don’t give in, don’t throw in the towel. I rose from it and anyone can too. I rose from it and I am now unstoppable!” she said. “I laugh everyday. I have an awesome mindset — if I can’t fix it I let it go.”