Family of LaRue drowning victim seeks to help others

LARUE – Saying his hope is that the event helps promote awareness of the dangers of drowning, Kenny Auxier announced the Fly High Jaylynn Poker Run will be held Saturday in memory of his granddaughter Jaylynn Adamson.

Jaylynn was 22-months-old when she was found unconscious about 9:22 a.m. May 29 in a pond on the property of her great-grandparents near LaRue. A family member got her out of the water, and CPR was performed. Later that morning, she was pronounced dead at OhioHealth Marion General Hospital. Her brother, Zander Adamson, was born the same day.

“I want to do a yearly event,” Auxier said. “And the money goes to Safety City. That way it goes back to the kids, since she was a kid. ... That way people are aware about drowning.”

Ciera Adamson, Jaylynn’s mother, shared Auxier’s intention to help Safety City “so another parent doesn’t have to go through what we’re going through.”

Safety City educates all Marion County kindergarteners on fire safety, bullying, healthy living, gun safety and road safety in a five-class session. Every child who attends also gets a personal smoke detector and handouts to promote safer lifestyles.

Ciera Adamson in announcing the poker run in memory of Jaylynn included her story:

“Jaylynn was born August 13, 2013. She always (had) a smile on her face. She was a happy little girl. If your day was horrible all you had to do was look at her and your mood would change instantly. As Jaylynn got older she became more and more adventurous. She loved being outside.

“Jaylynn was 13 months old when we found out we are expecting another baby. The day we found out that we were having a boy it felt like our world was complete. We had a girl and now we were having our boy, we were done and we were happy with the decision we made. Being that this was our second child we could pick an inducement date so we picked May 29, 2015.

“It was a Friday so Jason (Jaylynn’s father) could have that day off and have the whole weekend to spend with his family and go back to work Monday. We left for the hospital between 5:30 (a.m.) and 6 (a.m.) that morning. They started my inducement between 7 and 7:30 (a.m.). In the room with me was Jason, my grandmother Jill, and my mother Amy.

“The nurses just got done breaking my water when grandma Jill got a phone call. The call was saying that Jaylynn was nowhere to be found. Grandma rushed out of the room with Jason on her heels. Jason made sure I was OK at the hospital with my mom before he left. My nurses had helped keep me calm as much as possible for her baby brother.

“I decided to stop my labor so I could go down to be in the ER when the squad got there. I was dilated 3 cm when I went down to the ER. The next thing I see is Jason walking in by the stretcher with Jaylynn on it and the EMTs giving her CPR.

“The room was full of doctors and nurses. The main doctor came over and got down on his knees in front of Jason and I because I was in a wheelchair at that time. He held both of our hands and told us that he was very sorry but there was nothing that he could do any longer. Our baby girl our first born was no longer with us. Our world had just turned upside down.

“I stay(ed) down in the ER until I dilated up to 6 cm. The only reason I went back up to labor and delivery is because my doctor had told me it was time for her baby brother to be coming.

“Zander Eugene Adamson was born at 4:09 (p.m.). May 29, 2015 was the worst/best day of our lives. May 29 will forever be a bittersweet day for our family. It is the day that we lost our daughter but gained our son.”

Auxier said in organizing the fundraising event he decided to build it around the poker run.

“I ride bikes,” he said. “A bunch of my friends ride bikes so.... And we want to do an auction.”

The family continues to recover from the incident, he said.

“We’re hanging in there,” he said. “Each day gets a little better.”

jjarvis@marionstar.com

740-375-5154

Twitter: @jmwjarvis

Fly High Jaylynn Poker Run

Registration begins: 9:30 a.m.

Cost: $15 for single riders, $20 for double riders.

First bike out: 11:30 a.m.

Last bike back: 5 p.m.

To donate or for more information: Call Kenny Auxier, 740-360-8872, or Ciera Adamson, 740-223-8967.

Dinner will be provided. A 50/50 will be held. The band Fog will perform. Proceeds will go to Safety City.