Jackson Everett Lochner passed away on August 4, 2023 at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha, NE. 

Born on October 22, 2018, Jackson was a very special boy who entered life with a very unique set of challenges. Shortly after he was born, while simultaneously moving our family 600 miles from home for a new military assignment, we became concerned over his slow growth. At only a few months old, we were referred to the Pediatric Therapy Center (PTC) in Papillion, NE to begin physical and occupational therapies and started with Bellevue Public Schools for early intervention services. We never could have imagined the tremendous impact these providers would have on our lives.

At 7 months old, a PTC therapist identified a possible seizure, and after an EEG discovered Hypsarrythmia, Jackson was diagnosed with a serious childhood epilepsy called Infantile Spasms. He was later diagnosed with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome as he grew and his seizures changed. His epilepsy was a challenge we battled daily, but we never allowed it to prevent him from making the most of his time with his siblings and friends.

Through a myriad of anti-epileptic medications and therapies (including Epidiolex, an FDA approved CBD medication, and the Ketogenic diet), we managed his seizures enough to provide him a life full of adventure. His global developmental delay, however, would require constant accommodation. PTC and physicians at Offutt AFB and Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha, NE provided constant support for Jackson, enabling him to receive an adaptive stroller, seats, a stander, and countless other pieces of equipment to help him continue to grow and thrive despite his disadvantages.

Unfortunately, Jackson’s challenges did not stop with epilepsy. While already inpatient at the Children’s Hospital for a seizure related stay on April 16, 2020, Jackson went into cardiac arrest. Following extensive resuscitation and time in the PICU, Jackson was able to pull through. On June 2, 2020, Jackson experienced a second cardiac arrest. His story did not end there. If Jackson was anything, he was a fighter.

After his cardiac events Jackson was enrolled in hospice and our plan for his life changed drastically. Though we did not know a date or time, we knew Jackson’s time with us would be limited. Jackson then became a very well traveled child. Our family became expert road-trippers, first in a sedan, then a minivan, finally a truck and travel trailer. In his 4 years, Jackson saw many states with principal trips to Washington, Colorado, Utah, Texas, Mississippi, Nevada, North and South Dakota, Nebraska, and Iowa.

Across all of his travels, the places Jackson enjoyed the most were always the aquariums. Due to his cortical visual impairment, we knew Jackson was not able to see well, but when he sat near the fish and coral with all kinds of lights colors, Jackson’s smile would light up the whole room. His favorite aquariums include: the Henry Doorly Zoo & Aquarium, Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, Dallas Aquarium, and Seattle Aquarium.

Some of the brightest moment’s of Jackson’s life were delivered by his early admission to Mrs. Thompson’s preschool classroom. The values of inclusion, equity, and diversity in the classroom, fostered by his teacher and all staff at his school, brought some of our most heartwarming memories for Jackson. It was the only time Jackson ever spent away from all other family members, but he did not just attend the class, he was truly a part of the class. He was showered with love and acceptance by all of his peers every day.

Jackson is survived by his parents: Michael & Kaitlyn; his siblings: Carson and Lilah; his grandparents: Bobby & Cheryl, Kevin & Shannon, and Peggy & Lowery; his great-grandparents: Brenda, Bob & Chris, Liz, Sherry, and Naomi; his aunts and uncles: Will & Ash, Caitlyn & Tyler, Hunter, and Tanner; and his cousins: Andrew, Sawyer, Liam, Wyatt, and Hazel. Jackson is preceded in death by his great-grandparents: Myrna, Tim, Bob, and Bill.

We will not be holding an immediate service for Jackson. Instead, in Summer 2024, we will be traveling with Jackson one last time to add his remains to an artificial reef so that his body can be forever surrounded by the fish and corals he loved so much and to promote the development of the ecosystem that brought him so much joy.

https://www.eternalreefs.com/…

In lieu of flowers, we are requesting donations to fund his reef, to provide support for his sibling’s growth through the grieving process, and finally, to give back to those who gave him so much: PTC and Mrs. Thompson’s preschool classroom.

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