Local teen's selfless act saves seven lives through organ donation after passing

ABILENE, Texas — Just over three years ago, on April 14, 2022, 17-year-old, Jazz Kade Jones, passed away at Hendrick Medical Center.

His mom said something that comforts her most is knowing his death helped others.

"I lost my 17 year old son," Jazz's mom, Janet Lindley, said. "And when I was going through the worst time of my life, trying to figure out, ‘what do I do? Am I going to plan a funeral? Bury him? what do I do?’"

Lindley said that Jazz was a very kind and giving person.

"And he said, ‘when it’s my time to go, I don’t want anything," she said. "'I don’t want a burial,’ and he said ‘if I’m not here anymore and I can’t use it, then I need to save somebody else’s life,’ and that’s what he did."

After Jazz had passed, his mother was informed that when he turned 16 and got his driver's license, he signed up to become an organ donor.

"So I was just like, he already knew what he was doing," Lindley said. "God already told him what he was doing. And on Easter, the first year that we lost Jazz, was the day of his recipient’s transplant. And we all went to my sister’s and went to the backyard and held hands and prayed at the time on surgery. And right after our prayer we got done. And we got notification that Jazz saved seven lives that day."

Lindley told us that Jazz enjoyed farming and welding and loved everyone.

"I remember one night he came home and he said, ‘mom come outside and look in my truck,'" she said. "And I was like, ‘uh-uh, I’m scared, what do you have, what’d you bring home?’ And I said, ‘no, bring it to me,’ and I thought it was going to be a snake or something. No, he comes in with a big old duck and he was doing the whole Aflac thing."

Lindley is beyond proud of her son Jazz and had a message to share with him.

"Not only do I love you, but man, I’m so proud of you, she said. "I wish he was here but he’s still working. He’s still working, he’s still doing his thing, and I can’t wait to see him again."

Lindley told us that they started a scholarship in Jazz’s name called the ‘Love like Jazz Scholarship’ to help his legacy live on.