His name was Jake.
Jake had always been a big boy. At 8 years old he was much taller than the other children in his class. He had thick light brown hair, a big bright smile and the most beautiful sky blue eyes that seemed to dance as he laughed. There was something special and magical within him. No matter how upset or sad you were, he had a light shining in him that seemed to make it right in the world. Everything good was in this little boy. One of the things he loved most was to share “his good“. He was always the first in line to share laughter, love and a great big hug if you really needed it. He had the biggest heart of anyone I ever knew. He jumped to help others without thinking about what he would get in return. He never thought about himself. He saw the world in a manner that the rest of us could only dream of. To him, it was full of unadulterated beauty and full of good.
On February 26th, 2013, my sweet and loving Jake left this world. He left far too soon. In his short 8 years on this earth, he taught me patience, kindness, and how to live. He taught me to give and to treasure the simple things. On that fateful day, I was approached by a very kind nurse who asked if I would like to donate his corneas. Without hesitation, I said “yes”. I knew that very moment; Jake would want someone else to see the world through his eyes. Not long after, I found out that two people received the gift of sight.
Losing Jake was hard. Still is, and always will be. I had the honor of being his mother for eight years. He is forever one of my greatest accomplishments. I will never get to see him grow into the amazing man that I know in my heart he would have been. Having the knowledge of others being able to see what a beautiful world we live in through the eyes of an Angel that briefly walked this earth, comforts my soul.
To imagine a world without Jake is a world of darkness. My boy, my beautiful loving boy lives on. He continues to light up a room and help people the way that he always wanted. I am so very grateful that in the midst of such tragedy, there was an option to be able to let my son live on. To live in a world of darkness, is something not one person should have to endure. Everyone deserves a chance to see everything that makes this world great. Nobody should have to miss out on a loved one’s smile or a beautiful sunset. As Jake’s mother, I couldn’t be more proud of his gift and impression left on this world.
*Submitted by his mother, Ashley, and selected as the Winner of the “2016 Through My Eyes Art Contest” Written Composition Category