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Local parents honored at Rose Bowl parade

Leighann and Tim Jones of Centerville donated their son Isaiah Jerome Jones’ organs after his death. They will ride on a float in the Rose Bowl parade.

Staff photo by Jim Noelker Leighann and Tim Jones of Centerville donated their son Isaiah Jerome Jones’ organs after his death. They will ride on a float in the Rose Bowl parade.

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Couple urges parents to think about organ donation now

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Contributed photo Isaiah Jerome Jones' likeness, which was made of plant materials, will be part of a Rose Bowl float.

Organ donation lets baby’s legacy grow

By Kim Margolis, Staff Writer Updated 4:11 PM Thursday, December 31, 2009

CENTERVILLE — By the time Isaiah Jerome Jones was six months old, he had two teeth and was conquering milestones like rolling over, learning to crawl and standing with assistance.

He was a good eater, weighing in at 23 pounds. He loved his cat, his dog and the music on his Baby Einstein tapes.

“As long as he had a bottle and Baby Einstein, nothing could go wrong,” said his mother Leighann Jones, 22, of Centerville.

In August, Isaiah was placed in his crib for a nap. A mere half-hour later he wasn’t breathing. It turns out he had spit up and aspirated the vomit into his lungs.

Even though his parents did everything right, placing him on his back as recommended, the perfectly healthy baby boy was dying.

After days in Dayton Children’s hospital and many tests, it was clear Isaiah had no brain function and would never come home. Tim and Leighann both privately considered organ donation but were afraid to upset the other by bringing it up. Finally they discussed it and decided to donate his organs.

“Let’s go save some babies,” Tim recalls Leighann saying.

A 7-month-old girl who was very close to death now lives thanks to Isaiah’s heart. A 2-year-old boy can now eat solid food because he received Isaiah’s abdominal organs.

Isaiah’s likeness will be featured on the Donate Life float in today’s Rose Bowl parade in Pasadena, Calif., which begins at 11 a.m. Tim and Leighann will be there to see an image of their son on a floragraph, a picture made of flower and plant parts.

Donate Life is a national nonprofit organization that encourages organ donation. Locally, southwest Ohio is served by Life Connection of Ohio, which works with Donate Life.

Isaiah will be one of only 76 people across the country celebrated on today’s float as life savers.

“I’m excited to talk to the families about the same things they went through, Leighann said. “I’m excited that Isaiah lived for something other than me or Tim.”

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