The Tragic Truth About Jordin Sparks

Jordin Sparks has a lot to be grateful for. In 2007, she became the youngest "American Idol" winner at just 17, becoming an immediate star. Sparks has since garnered two Grammy nominations and reached multi-platinum status. In her personal life, Sparks has been just as successful. In July 2017, Sparks quietly married Dana Isaiah, news she publicly shared the following November. She also used the occasion to announce she was pregnant. "We're both really excited," she told People.

Sparks and Isaiah welcomed their son DJ in May 2018, starting a family that's still going strong. "I loooove the life we're creating and being married to you. We make wishes on days like today but my heart is always wishing and beating for you," she gushed on Facebook on Isaiah's birthday in May 2023. However, not everything has been sunshine and rainbows on the journey. The fact she had only been dating Isaiah a few months when they tied the knot caught not only the public by surprise but also her loved ones.

Sparks' mom Jodi Jackson was concerned because she barely knew her son-in-law and felt he didn't try hard enough with her family, a dynamic revealed on the 2018 Lifetime special "Jordin Sparks: A Baby Story." "This is my child, who you rushed in, took her away from everything. I don't know you at all. Like, at all," Jackson told Isaiah during an exchange (via Madame Noire). Luckily, things have worked out between them. But Sparks has faced plenty of other challenges along the way.

The last week of January 2018 was a particularly dark time for Jordin Sparks. In a span of just days, she experienced the loss of four people close to her. On January 30, Sparks' stepsister, Bryanna Jackson-Frias (pictured), died from complications of sickle cell anemia, People reported. She was 16. Hours before her stepsister's death, Sparks had taken to her Instagram Stories to ask for support. "Please keep my little sister, Bryanna, in your prayers," she wrote. "She's suffering from complications from sickle cell and is in the ICU fighting for her life."

A day later, on January 31, Sparks' friends, the "American Idol" alum Leah LaBelle, and her husband, former NBA player Rasual Butler, died in a car accident in California, TMZ reported. Sparks also lost a younger cousin, Q, around that time. The cause of Q's death wasn't revealed, but Sparks paid tribute to all four in a social media post. "Four Angels in a week. My heart is just so heavy & broken. I'm in shock, numb and feel everything all at the same time," Sparks wrote.

Jackson-Frias' death inspired Sparks to become engaged in the fight against sickle cell anemia, a disorder that affects the blood flow in the body. "I watched her struggle and saw how it affected her daily life ... Seeing Brie's experience, I had to get involved and use my voice to raise awareness," Sparks told NIH Medline Plus. 

Just a little over a year after losing four loved ones, Jordin Sparks also lost her stepfather James Jackson. On May 7, 2019, Jackson died at the age of 50 after suffering an unexpected stroke, People reported. "James and I had a big beautiful love. We loved out loud. He took nothing for granted and gave of himself every day to everyone," Jodi Jackson, James' wife, wrote in a Facebook post. "We adored each other and every minute he wasn't working we were together loving our crazy, blessed life."

James was a firefighter who had also served in the Army, two career paths that Jodi said perfectly captured his soul. "He spent his life saving lives and will save many more through this tragedy. That was just who he was," Jodi wrote. Upon news of his death, Sparks dropped everything to be with her family, skipping the LadyLike luncheon in Los Angeles where she was scheduled to receive an award. "Jordin really wanted to be here ... Jordin went to be with her mother because her stepdad passed away suddenly," her manager told the crowd, HollywoodLife reported.

In January 2017, Sparks showed her bond with James when she rooted for the Houston Texans against the New England Patriots ahead of Super Bowl LI. "Check out my step-dad & my mom! He's as die hard a Texans fan as I am 4 my AZCards! Hoping they pull the W for him!" she tweeted. 

The month before the tragic sequence of deaths, Jordin Sparks also had to say goodbye to her favorite dog. On December 9, 2017, Sparks made the difficult decision to euthanize her Schnoodle named Miles, pictured above. "My heart is absolutely broken. He's been a constant companion and source of unconditional love for the past 8 years. He was more than a pet, he was my friend. It sounds crazy but it's true," she wrote on Facebook.

A few days earlier, Sparks had asked her fans to send good vibes her and Miles' way. "If you guys can, please pray or send up some good vibes for my furbaby, Miles. He's not feeling too hot. Thank you," she tweeted on December 5, 2017. Sparks also had a schnauzer/poodle/bichon mix named Minnie and a cat named Elsa, of whom the dogs approved. "Well, that was easy! Minnie & Miles love their new sis, Elsa. Aaand she loves them right back," Sparks shared in November 2016.

Sparks' hurt was evident amid the loss of her friends, stepsister, and cousin less than two months later. In her tribute to them, the singer also mentioned her beloved Miles. "Rest In Peace and Power. I love you forever. Find Miles and hug him for me," she wrote. In her social media post about Miles' passing, Sparks invoked a similar sentiment about being reunited with him. "I can't wait to see you again ... I'll have your ball," she said.

Jordin Sparks knew exactly how she wanted DJ to come into the world. Sparks opted for a natural water birth, but she understood that childbirth can come with unexpected complications. So, she chose a birthing center across the street from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. "Just in case anything happened, if there's complications that arise, they actually would escort us over to the hospital," she told People in May 2018, days after she gave birth.

Luckily, it didn't get to that because her midwife was equipped to unwrap DJ's umbilical cord from his neck. Called a nuchal cord, the complication can be serious if wrapped so tight that it cuts off the blood supply to the fetus, according to the NIH. The situation scared Dana Isaiah, who caught the baby when Sparks gave birth. "[He] was just like, 'I don't know what to do,'" Sparks told People but said the midwife was able to step in and help. "He said it almost looked like a scarf — it was wrapped around his neck and bod."

Despite the scary moment, DJ's birth is among Sparks' best experiences. "It was just this incredibly miraculous, beautiful moment that I don't know could ever be duplicated," she told People. But that doesn't mean she plans to go through it again. "I love to be nurturing, and I just don't know if I'd be able to take care of myself as much if I expanded," she told Us Weekly in 2020. 

In April 2008, then-18-year-old Jordin Sparks had to withdraw from Alicia Keys' tour after being diagnosed with acute vocal cord hemorrhage, which happens when excessive use of the voice causes injuries to the vocal cords, Billboard reported. Sparks was ordered to be on strict vocal rest and expected to recover within a couple of weeks. "Sparks has been going nonstop over the past two years and now she's going through the normal course of learning how to manage and care for her voice," a spokesperson told Variety.

At the time, reports claimed Sparks might never sing again. Specialists told ABC News that vocal cord injuries can end a singer's career depending on their severity. "It may change your ability to sing certain types of songs or potentially, if it's really bad, affect your ability to sing altogether," Dr. Peter Catalano said. The location of the blistering also has an impact on any potential long-term effects. "Certain parts of the vocal chords are much more important to the quality of one's voice than others," he said. 

Sparks denied that was ever her case, though she admitted the injury could have had lifelong consequences had she not sought medical help. "My career COULD HAVE BEEN in jeopardy if I hadn't done anything about it. But I knew something was wrong and that I needed to get it checked out," she told MTV News in an email later that month.