Jarod was a vibrant young 20 year old who lost his life in a tragic motorcycle accident in October 2019. He was an organ donor from the day he received his drivers license at the age of 16, so the decision was easy for us to make in order to honor his wishes. Jarod loved bowling, baseball and riding motorcycles. He was known for his dimples and his signature papaya colored Champion hoodie. Jarod was a "social butterfly" and loved to meet new people while helping anyone he could. This was never more present than the 300+ people who visited him in the hospital and the more than 500 people who attended his funeral.
Jarod was able to donate both kidneys, his pancreas, his heart and his liver. His liver donation carries a special meaning in our lives, as it went to a 10 year old little girl, Gabby, who we have had the pleasure of meeting, along with her family. The story of meeting Gabby is very interesting. Mutual friends connected events posted by both families on social media, but still maintained the privacy of both families, until everyone was ready to make the meeting possible. Both Gabby and Jarod attended the same grade school, only about 11 years apart. We also found out that Gabby's hobbies include dance and soccer, which were part of Jarod's life, as his girlfriend/fiance is a collegiate soccer player, as well as a dance instructor. We have shared many stories with each other and look forward to many more.
We do hope to get the opportunity to meet Jarod's other organ recipients, but understand and respect the difficulty in making that decision.
