Jaydan’s parents journey to meet organ recipients
Content warning: This story touches on themes of suicide.
Jaydan Pautzke had a zest for life. Whether she was playing sports, enjoying her Diet Coke, or working with children, her energy was contagious. A fierce love for her family and an adventurous spirit marked everything she did.
“She was always so full of life, but she could also have an angry side to her – that wasn’t very often,” shares Michelle Pautzke, Jaydan’s mom. “Everybody loved her. Everyone could feel her love from her.”
“Jayden was kind of like my little sidekick,” says Jayson Pautzke, Jaydan’s dad. “I coached her in basketball from a really young age all the way through when she until she graduated.”
Jayson smiles as he fondly remembers one of the last things he did with Jaydan was clean up after a big storm in Mora, picking up 13 trees on their property. Jaydan helped a little and captured the moment with her dad.
A glimmer of hope
But in one tragic moment, the vibrant life that Jaydan led was cut short. And yet, in the wake of her loss, her legacy continues to ripple through the lives of strangers.
At 20 years old, Jaydan died by suicide. Her boyfriend Hayden found her and started CPR right away. Her parents recall the paramedics attempting everything they could to save Jaydan’s life.
“We had a glimmer of hope that maybe she could pull through,” says Jayson. “It was kind of a miracle they were able to get her pulse back.”
Unfortunately, Jaydan’s condition deteriorated to brain death. That’s when LifeSource met Michelle and Jayson for the first time. Both Michelle and Jayson immediately asked if Jaydan could be an organ donor.
Jaydan chose to register as an organ donor on her driver’s license when she was 16 years old. Her selfless choice meant that, even in death, she could offer others a second chance —something that only a small fraction of people are able to do.
Jaydan was able to donate all of her organs to people who would not be here today without her gift of a transplant.
On a mission: Meet Jaydan’s recipients
Jaydan — who once loved to adventure to new, faraway places — has her parents traveling across the U.S. to meet the strangers who were given a second chance to live.
Jayson and Michelle are both teachers. Now, they are spending every school break traveling the country to meet the recipients of Jaydan’s organs.
Stop 1: Illinois to meet Jaseh, liver recipient
Over the summer, they met 1 ½ year old Jaseh, who received Jaydan’s liver. At 13 months old, Jaseh suffered from progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis, a rare disorder that causes liver disease. Jaydan’s gift has given him a future filled with possibilities.
“I was not expecting the emotions, but I just started crying when I saw this little boy that’s going to live because our daughter saved his life,” recalls Michelle.
Jayson and Michelle also learned that Jaseh has a sister also named Jaedon.
Stop 2: Iowa to meet Shane, pancreas and kidney recipient
Next, over MEA break in October, the Pautzkes drove to Iowa to meet Shane, a newlywed who had been in end-stage renal disease. Shane’s new chance at life meant he could continue to build the life he’d always dreamed of—getting married and starting a family.
“He had just gotten married the month before we met him; without the life-saving donation, he probably wouldn’t have gotten married,” add Jayson.
Stop 3: Texas to meet Tina, lung recipient
The day after Christmas, the Pautzkes traveled to Houston to meet Tina, a former Rice University police office who was losing her battle to sarcoidosis, a disease that had been affecting her lungs since 1991. In and out of remission, Tina was given only a few more years to live unless she got a lung transplant.
Stop 4: Minnesota to meet Carina, kidney recipient
Just a few weeks ago, the Pautzkes met a fellow Minnesotan who received Jaydan’s other kidney. Carina was born with Bardet-Biedl syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that impacts multiple body systems. Carina’s mother Mayka shared she had been on the waiting list for years. Just as they were about to start dialysis, Carina’s family got the call that a kidney was available.
For Jayson and Michelle, these meetings have been a profound reminder of Jaydan’s lasting impact. Although they lost their daughter, through organ donation, they’ve seen how much love and hope she continues to spread. They hope others will consider following in her footsteps, because one person really can make a difference.
“In the end, it wasn’t a miracle for us because she didn’t live, but it was a miracle for all the people she saved,” Jayson shares.
One person can save and heal more than 75 lives through organ and tissue donation. By joining the donor registry, you can make a difference for so many. Register today at life-source.org/register.
Stay, the world needs you.
No matter how hard things may seem, there is hope. If you or someone you know is struggling with thoughts of suicide, help is available. Call or text 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor.
Related:
An emotional journey: Parents meet with recipients of daughter’s organs (KSTP)