A Journey of Resilience
Jackson and Tyler's Story
As the year ends, we are thinking about all the children in our region who need free grief support services after the death of a loved one. They rely on Safe Crossings Foundation to help them navigate their grief. We are determined to fund these services, but we are short of our 2024 fundraising goal. Please help us reach our goal so kids like Jackson and Tyler can continue to receive free and accessible grief support.
Jackson and Tyler with their dog, Cody
When brothers Jackson and Tyler were young kids, they were inseparable from their dad, Wayne. He was always by their side, even coaching their baseball teams over the years. But when the brothers were just seven years old and nearing the end of 2nd grade, they faced a life-altering challenge. They learned their father was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.
Wayne was more than a dad to Jackson and Tyler. He was a coach, mentor, and here to his sons, dedicating countless hours to help with homework and in the dugout. After learning of their dad’s diagnosis, the brothers witnessed him fighting a battle they couldn’t fully understand as young children. After two years of treatments and hospital visits, Wayne’s fight came to an end.
Jackson and Tyler with their dad, Wayne
At just nine years old, Jackson and Tyler were forced to face a profound loss that few people their age could comprehend. Tyler shares, “as a young kid you don’t understand disease or illness, really.” For any child, the death of a parent can be confusing and isolating. The feelings they experience can be overwhelming and even scary, and they need support to help them navigate their new world.
After Wayne’s death, Jackson and Tyler began meeting with a grief counselor, where they could share the different emotions they were experiencing and learn coping skills to work through them. They attended peer support groups at The Healing Center as well as Camp Erin, a weekend bereavement camp, where they met other kids who had experienced the death of their father and could relate to what they were going through.
Wayne, Jackson, and Tyler
Through these Safe Crossings Foundation-funded programs, Tyler and Jackson found ways to express themselves and cherish the times they had with their dad. They learned that even though he was no longer physically by their side, his presence remained a part of who they were becoming. He was there in their resilience, in their love for baseball, and in the way they looked out for each other. The support they received from Safe Crossings Foundation was essential to their experience, providing tools to honor their grief and help them move forward.
Now, as young men, Tyler and Jackson continue to share an unbreakable bond that is strengthened by loving memories of their father. Their grief journey has shaped them profoundly, with each milestone in their lives a testament to the resilience they’ve cultivated together.
For over 35 years, Safe Crossings Foundation has helped grieving children. Jackson and Tyler’s journey is just one example of the thousands of children, teens, and young adults in our region who are supported each year by programs funded by Safe Crossings Foundation.
Our vision is that no child will have to grieve alone, and we need your help to make that vision a reality. Your gift will ensure that these essential services remain free and accessible for every child who needs them.
Please make a donation today to help grieving children find hope and healing.
With warm gratitude,
Karen Schrantz
Executive Director, Safe Crossings Foundation
P.S. One in eight youth lose a parent or sibling before the age of 25. Holidays can be especially hard for young adults like Jackson and Tyler. Safe Crossings Foundation strives to make the holidays a little easier by funding a variety of programs that help at this time of year. Please join us by making your donation today.
If you prefer to give via check, please mail it to:
Safe Crossings Foundation
4210 Southwest Oregon St, Suite H
Seattle, WA 98116