Updated: A Dying Child’s Last Wish

This is a plea for signatures to help a young girl, Jayci Yaeger see her father for the last time before she dies of brain cancer.  Jayci’s father, Jason Charles Yaeger, is incarcerated in a South Dakota prison just three and half hours drive from his daughter.  He is scheduled to be released from prison in August.

Quote from ABC News:

He (Mr. Yaeger) has pleaded repeatedly with prison officials to honor the bureau’s apparent policy of allowing furloughs and transfers under “extraordinary” circumstances, but has been rebuffed time and again

And prison officials released a statement (pdf) saying:

Late Thursday, after abcnews.com published this story, the Bureau of Prisons released a statement saying that officials there “have reviewed inmate Yaeger’s request for a compassionate release and have determined his situation does not meet the criteria…”

If an inmates daughter’s dying does not constitute “extraordinary circumstances” then what does?

To sign the petition, CLICK HERE, there were only about 420 signatures when I signed and their goal is to get 100,000  so we need to get many, many more…QUICKLY!

This little girls life is coming to an end very soon.  Please help Jayci see her father.

Please send the petition on to friends, family or even your entire e-mail list.  

Let’s get this done!!!

The irony of Yaeger’s dilemma is not lost on him – he’s in a race against time, trapped in a place where he’s got nothing but time. He said he fears he’ll never see his daughter alive again, and he said he knows he bears the blame for that.

“I am sorry for what I have done,” he said. “I’m not asking to get out of my sentence – just to go from one place of imprisonment to another so I can be with my family.”

“Jayci is sitting in a hospice fighting for her life and [her mother] thinks she is holding on for me to get there,” an emotional Jason Yaeger said.

“She wants me and needs me and I want to be there with her on her last day.”

Yaeger said he’s grateful for one saving grace – that he gets to talk to Jayci daily.

“She can’t talk back, but I talk to her every day just so she can hear my voice,” he said. “She’s my heart. She’s my world. I tell her she’s the strongest person I know … Yes, I’ve made some mistakes, but I’ve been a good father and my children have always been really close to me.”

If you’d like to send a donation to help her family pay for funeral expenses here is the information:

                                       Jayci Yaeger Benefit Fund

                                       Care of Guardians Incorp.

                                       1707 South 17th St. Suite 1D

                                       Lincoln, Neb. 68502

For those who want to tell South Dakota officials to let this dad go to Nebraska to see his dying daughter:

Gov. Mike Rounds. Linda Asher / public relations – Yankton FPC

Phone: 605-665-3262

Fax: 605-668-1113

E-mail address: yan/[email protected]

Senator Tim Johnson…….. (800) 537-0025

Senator John Thune….. Sioux Falls: (605) 334-9596

Congresswoman Stephanie Herseth……… (866) 371-8747

Yankton (18th) district state delegates: Jean Hunhoff (senate – R) Business: 605-668-8312

Garry Moore (house – D) Business: 605-665-3294

Charlii Gilson (house – R) Business 605-260-1600

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

___________________________________

UPDATE:  Wednesday afternoon Jason Yaeger was able to visit with his daughter for twenty minutes…all of our letters, phone calls and signatures asking Warden Whitehead to allow Jason to see his daughter made a difference.  Even though it was only twenty minutes, it was SOMETHING!!!!

LINK:

Jayci Yaeger’s wish to see her father has finally come true.

Jason Yaeger was allowed to visit his dying daughter at a hospice in Lincoln for about 20 minutes yesterday.

Wednesday morning Jason recieved the hopeful news from Warden J.C. Whitehead.

Jason said that Whitehead told him he was sorry about the way things had turned out.

So again, Dharmaniacs….you are a fantastic bunch of people, thank you for all of your help.

Peace,

Kris