Our son, Jarrod Stephens, was a simple person. He enjoyed sports of every kind but especially his beloved Philadelphia Eagles. It didn’t matter if they were having a winning or losing season, he still cheered them on. We often had to plan our Sunday dinner around the game and halftime. I chose to use Eagles fabric for that reason. I kept the quilt square simple to remember how simple and easy going he was.
I remember clearly the day in February 2007 when he chose to become an organ donor. Jarrod had learning disabilities but could understand many things if explained to him in the right way. We had gone to the photo license place to have his picture taken for his new photo ID (he did not have a license.) As he was answering the questions on the computer, the one asked f you wanted to be an organ donor. He asked me what that meant. I explained to him that it meant if he were to die, his organs like his heart, lungs or kidneys would be given to someone else who was sick and needed new organs in order to get better. He asked me if I was an organ donor and I said that yes, I was. He said “I think I would like to do that too.” I told him to check “YES” and he did. I never imagined that a few months later we would be fulfilling that simple desire of his to help people. His unselfish gift gave 3 people better lives.
We miss him very much. I miss our days out “zipping & bobbing,” our Saturday breakfasts at the diner especially when he said ‘I’ll pay,” his wicked sense of humor and his uncanny ability to remember obscure sports statistics.