Jackson Ronald Britz

Jackson Ronald Britz was born on May 4th, 2019 in Westerville, Ohio, completing our family of 4.  He was a happy baby and an even happier toddler – his giggles were infectious, his eyes were piercing blue and everyone who met him knew he was special. Jackson loved to play outdoor, especially on the swings, climbing, swimming, and running. Watching movies was by far his favorite –Toy Story, Madagascar, Ferdinand, and Boss Baby were always on in our house (not to exclude a stint of the Grinch, on loop, in July.) Jackson was never without his Nuk (which mom still finds in random places to this day), mini-muffins or sippy cup, which he ever so lovingly threw to the ground with conviction every time he was finished. Though Jackson was still non-verbal at 3 years-old, he was very, very loud –he sounded like a dinosaur.  I stumbled upon a sign that caught my eye – a picture of a t-rex that said “Let the World Hear You Roar”.  I put it in Jackson’s room because it was so fitting. 

When we moved back to Minnesota in June of 2022, we were excited for the next chapter and by the time our new home was ready in late July, we had finally begun to settle in. On Tuesday, August 9th- a gorgeous day in central Minnesota- I packed a bag for a quick trip to for work. It was an otherwise normal day for us; Daddy said goodbye on his way to work and promised McDonalds for dinner, our nanny arrived and settled in– nothing that would suggest anything other than the ordinary. Later that day, I got a call from home that Jackson was missing and by the time Dan got home, Jackson had been found in an open body of water in our neighborhood.  Jackson was one of the 30 people who died from a non-boating related accident in Minnesota in 2022.  He was just 3 years old. 

When I look back, I realize there were very few people who got to really know our kiddo; not many knew his favorites, got to experience him take their hand when he needed something, or snuggled him when he was sleepy. So now it’s up to us to keep Jackson’s spirit alive. We talk about him openly, we share stories about him and when someone asks how many kids we have, we never say one, even though it would be easier. As we continue to navigate the aftermath of this tragedy, we know that another way to keep Jackson’s legacy is to do something amazing in his name. Jackson Roars started from that little dinosaur sign that now sits on his urn and reminds us every day to keep making noise for him.