Neglected But Undefeated: Jonathan Anthony Burkett's story of faith and endurance

Editor’s note: Upstormed News is published by Upstormed Inc, the company Jonathan Anthony Burkett founded and leads as CEO. This feature about our founder draws only on his published memoir, website and company pages.

Veterans Day is a day for honoring people who carried heavy loads and kept going. It is also a season when many families talk about endurance, gratitude and the people who stood by them. That makes it a fitting time to revisit the story Jonathan Anthony Burkett tells in his memoir, Neglected But Undefeated, a book about a hard start, a frightening surgery and the faith he credits with carrying him through.

To be clear, Burkett is not a veteran, and his story is not a military one. But the themes he writes about, holding on when things are hard and choosing to keep showing up, are ones many readers will recognize this week.

Born in Miami, raised in Jamaica

According to his official biography, Burkett was born in Miami, Florida, in 1987 and raised in Jamaica by his grandparents. His early years were marked by economic hardship and serious health problems, including seizures. His biography describes his mother as absent from his childhood, and he was later brought to Florida.

On January 30, 2006, he underwent brain surgery. His biography says he came through with his faith stronger, and it sums up his life with a line that has become something of a personal motto: “A life that proves where you start doesn’t decide where you finish.”

What the memoir covers

Neglected But Undefeated is listed as available on his books page, which describes it as covering his childhood in Jamaica with his grandparents, growing up without his mother, his seizures and the 2006 surgery, along with the faith that carried him through. The page features a line from the book: “You know my name, not my story.”

A free excerpt of the introduction on his website gives a sense of the book’s honesty. In it, Burkett writes about feeling unseen by a parent, and about a lonely season after his surgery when he had no car, no job, no money and no family nearby in America. He writes openly about depression and anger, and about working through them with counselors, therapy and anger-management classes, where others encouraged him to share his story.

The turning point he describes is a quiet one: he started reading the books around him, then writing, and eventually building businesses. By the end of the introduction his outlook has changed. “Today, I believe that life is an adventure to be enjoyed,” he writes.

The excerpt also points readers who are struggling to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the U.S., which can be reached by call or text at 988.

Faith at the center

Throughout his published writing, faith is the thread that ties the story together. His site collects his quotes by theme, and the one listed as words he lives by is short and direct:

Faith is why I’m here today and faith is why I made it through.
Jonathan Anthony Burkett, jonathanburkett.com

Other quotes on the same page speak to the season, touching on perseverance, family and showing up for others. In one, he describes learning to come for other people after waiting for someone who never came. In another, he urges readers to never give up and to hold on to hope, especially when it feels impossible.

From hardship to building something

That journey eventually led to Upstormed Inc, which describes itself as a parent company overseeing businesses in e-commerce, music, publishing, real estate and news, with the mission “grow for the better.” His biography says the company was built on the belief that every storm can be a starting point for growth.

His music grew out of the same story. He founded Upstormed Records to release his own hip hop, soul and reggae music, with themes the label describes as change, faith and never giving up. His catalog, available on Spotify, includes the 2014 album One Life featuring reggae singer Ambelique, the 2018 single “Changes” featuring Polancapop, and the 2024 releases Born To Make It and the EP Life As I Know It.

Several upcoming life-lesson books listed on his site are named after those songs, including Don’t Give Up, Everything Changes and Born To Make It, all marked as coming soon.

Why it matters for families

Veterans Day reminds us that many people carry stories others never hear. Burkett’s memoir opens with that same idea: people may know a name without knowing what someone has been through. Whether the person is a veteran, a grandparent or a neighbor, this week is a good moment to ask about their story and to listen.

For parents, the memoir’s themes of neglect, illness and depression are serious, and its frankness may be best suited to older teens and adults. Families may want to read the free excerpt first before deciding whether to share it with younger readers.

Learn more at jonathanburkett.com

Who helped you get through a hard season, and have you thanked them? Tell us in the comments.

Sources: Jonathan Anthony Burkett, “His Story” (accessed Nov 11, 2026); Jonathan Anthony Burkett, “Books” (accessed Nov 11, 2026); Jonathan Anthony Burkett, “Neglected But Undefeated: Excerpt” (accessed Nov 11, 2026); Jonathan Anthony Burkett, “Quotes” (accessed Nov 11, 2026); Upstormed Inc, “Upstormed” (accessed Nov 11, 2026); Upstormed Records, “Upstormed Records” (accessed Nov 11, 2026); Spotify, “Jonathan Anthony Burkett” (accessed Nov 11, 2026)