Aahana Swrup
In ‘The Chi,’ Jada Washington has faced many challenging times and emerged victorious on the other side. However, in season 7, when her cancer returns, things take a sharp, bleak turn for the woman. Unlike last time, this time around, her chances of remission remain lower than ever, casting a dark shadow over her future. Perhaps most tragically of all, the terminal diagnosis comes on the heels of Keisha’s pregnancy with Emmett’s child. Therefore, on top of her promised demise, Jada also has to deal with the possibility of leaving the mortal plane without meeting her grandchild. Yet, as the season finale arrives with episode 12, ‘Rebirth,’ bittersweet stars align when Keisha’s labor is induced on the same night that Jada faces the possibility of her last breath. Thus, the woman’s fate becomes a game of chance. SPOILERS AHEAD!
Jada’s Decision to Forgo Treatment Allows Her a Peaceful End at Home
Jada first gets diagnosed with cancer in season 4. Fortunately, with the love and support of her friends and family, she’s able to overcome her condition and enter remission. Yet, in a few short years, her disease tragically returns. Worse yet, this time around, it seems no amount of treatment and medical assistance can be enough to avoid the inevitable. Once Jada realizes the terminal nature of her unexpected cancer recurrence, she has a difficult choice to make. She can continue receiving treatment, which would mean spending the last of her days in hospitals just for a fighting chance of survival. Alternatively, she can choose to embrace her fate and let nature take its course. From the get-go, she remains confident in her decision to choose the latter.
Jada knows the chances of her beating the cancer for a second time are low to none. For the same reason, she doesn’t wish to spend the last of her days in hospitals, desperately fighting for something impossible. Instead, she chooses to live out the rest of her days with her family, spending as much time with her loved ones as possible. This same decision allows her the opportunity to put up one last fight for something that means the world to her. Eventually, when Jada’s end nears, the gravity of the situation becomes evident. Therefore, when she and Darnell discover that Keisha is going into labor on the very same night, they know this might be the only chance that the baby has of meeting her grandmother. Thus, with a ticking clock on the line, Jada and Darnell set out for Emmett’s house to ensure the former can meet her grandchild at least once.
Jada Meets Emmett and Keisha’s Daughter in the Nick of Time
Keisha’s decision to have a water birth at home, with the assistance of a doula, allows her to have a relatively stress-free birthing process. Therefore, without the complications of a hospital in play, Jada and Darnell are able to make it to their son’s house in time. Consequently, the former gets to meet her grandchild: a girl, whom Emmett and Keisha choose to name after Jada in her honor. This moment of serenity and calm allows the dying woman a moment of complete peace. In the end, it also allows her to have the perfect goodbyes with her loved ones.
In her dying moments, Jada accepts Emmett’s decision to stay in Chicago despite her previous wishes for him to leave. She understands her son’s perspective of wanting to make the city a better place rather than abandoning it altogether. Furthermore, she also finds peace in the fact that he’s confident he can keep his family safe regardless of the violent nature of the city’s streets. On the other hand, Jada also gets to impart a gift on Keisha, leaving her with sizeable funds to start her homeschooling business. Ultimately, the scene remains bittersweet. Even though Jada passed away, leaving her family riddled with grief, she got to spend her last moments exactly how she wanted to: in the company of her loved ones.
