"Just a pile of dirt and memories".

This line, gently lifted from Jeromy's as-yet-to-be-recorded autobiographical song "The Mississippi", deftly depicts his childhood home - a trailer park in Ames, IA - demolished years ago to pave way for new condominiums. Only fond memories fill the otherwise dreary surroundings of his childhood: feral cats, violent neighbors and a makeshift junkyard the kids used as a playground. Too young to understand poverty, but old enough to understand love, Jeromy would find safety and solace in the arms of his parents, Mark and Kathy Darling. Fast forward some 25 years and things are much different: he's celebrating over 10 years of marriage to his high school sweetheart Gretchen and they're relishing the wonderful little gifts that their sons Wyatt (born Oct. '09) and Wilder ('12) continue to pour into their lives.

After witnessing his younger sister overcome a brutal illness that nearly took her life on 3 occasions between 2003 and 2009, Jeromy has