"She Was Hanging On For Daddy"
A ten-year-old girl lost her battle with brain cancer overnight, shortly after what turned out to be a last visit from her father, who's in prison on a drugs-related conviction.
It was, Jayci Yaeger's family says, her last wish -- to have her father by her side.
Jason Yaeger was escorted Wednesday from Yankton Federal Prison Camp in South Dakota to the hospice in Lincoln, Neb. where Jayci spent her last days. Jason was allowed to stay for 20 minutes.
It was Jason's fourth brief, supervised visit with Jayci since her condition worsened. Officials at Yankton had been refusing Jason's repeated requests for an early release to a halfway-house so he could spend more time with her.
Jayci's mother, Vonda Yaeger, told The Early Show earlier this month Jayci was "very scared. I think she's holding on for her father. ... She's very close with her father. She always has been."
On The Early Show Friday, Jayci's uncle, Ed Yaeger, told co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez that, on Wednesday, Jason "just got to tell her that he loved her and sit there and hold her hand and try to comfort her as much as he could."
Though Jayci was unconscious, Ed says the family feels she was aware of Jason's presence because, "Her breathing became labored. That was always our indication -- that, and tearing up and crying when Jason would be on the phone with her. Those were our two indications that she was aware of Jason."
Does Ed think Jayci was indeed hanging on for that one last visit from Jason?
"I believe that's what happened," Ed responded. "She was hanging on for daddy, and she got her daddy, and then she let go."
Ed says the Yeagers are very upset with prison officials, who repeatedly rebuffed Jason's requests to be with Jayci.
"We are not satisfied with their actions," Ed told Rodriguez. "Jason should have been here with Jayci when Jayci passed, and he wasn't, because they decided to just make decisions that I believe were unethical.
"Jason's debt to society is almost paid (he's in the last year of a five-and-a-half-year sentence). And all he wanted was just to be here by her side. He would have taken up the rest of his sentence afterwards. He just wanted to be with his daughter, that's all."
The Federal Bureau of Prisons has issued a statement saying, "The institution has taken unusual steps to be accommodating during this difficult time." The statement cites the four escorted trips and "additional phone calls to his family at no charge to him." But, it says, "fter careful review of the security needs of the community and the offender, the warden determined that a furlough (unescorted stay in the community) is not a viable option."
But reporter David Jespersen of CBS affiliate KOLN-TV in Lincoln says, "This was a request more for Jayci than it ever was for Jason. He wasn't asking to be set free entirely. He was just asking to be here with Jayci, and now is asking to be here with his other daughter, Shelby. As you can imagine, she's going through a very tough time right now."
The community has been very supportive of the Yaegers, Jespersen says, noting that, "We have had some e-mails saying ... the law is the law, he should stay there, but the overwhelming majority has been very supportive of the family. In fact, they're not only e-mailing our station, they're e-mailing the prison on a daily basis.
"They're also e-mailing any politician they could have to try to get something worked out. I talked with Sen. Ben Nelson's office, Sen. Chuck Hagel's office, the governor both here in Nebraska and South Dakota, and they all expressed that they received plenty of e-mails and many phone calls."
According to CBS affiliate KMTV in Omaha, Neb.:
To help the Yaeger Family:
Jayci Yaeger Fund
Wells Fargo Bank
1248 "O" Street
Lincoln, NE 68508
Guardians Inc.
1701 South 17th Street, Ste. 1D
Lincoln, NE 68502
866.477.0822
402.477.0822
To contact the Yaeger Family:
C/O Yaeger Family
PO Box 5818
Lincoln, NE 68505-5818
KMTV says on its Web site: "SWomeone is pretending to be a member of the Yaeger family, going to businesses and getting donations -- but it's all a scam -- and the family is upset. If you run across the person, call the police."
Copyright 2009 CBS. All rights reserved. It was, Jayci Yaeger's family says, her last wish -- to have her father by her side.
Jason Yaeger was escorted Wednesday from Yankton Federal Prison Camp in South Dakota to the hospice in Lincoln, Neb. where Jayci spent her last days. Jason was allowed to stay for 20 minutes.
It was Jason's fourth brief, supervised visit with Jayci since her condition worsened. Officials at Yankton had been refusing Jason's repeated requests for an early release to a halfway-house so he could spend more time with her.
Jayci's mother, Vonda Yaeger, told The Early Show earlier this month Jayci was "very scared. I think she's holding on for her father. ... She's very close with her father. She always has been."
On The Early Show Friday, Jayci's uncle, Ed Yaeger, told co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez that, on Wednesday, Jason "just got to tell her that he loved her and sit there and hold her hand and try to comfort her as much as he could."
Though Jayci was unconscious, Ed says the family feels she was aware of Jason's presence because, "Her breathing became labored. That was always our indication -- that, and tearing up and crying when Jason would be on the phone with her. Those were our two indications that she was aware of Jason."
Does Ed think Jayci was indeed hanging on for that one last visit from Jason?
"I believe that's what happened," Ed responded. "She was hanging on for daddy, and she got her daddy, and then she let go."
Ed says the Yeagers are very upset with prison officials, who repeatedly rebuffed Jason's requests to be with Jayci.
"We are not satisfied with their actions," Ed told Rodriguez. "Jason should have been here with Jayci when Jayci passed, and he wasn't, because they decided to just make decisions that I believe were unethical.
"Jason's debt to society is almost paid (he's in the last year of a five-and-a-half-year sentence). And all he wanted was just to be here by her side. He would have taken up the rest of his sentence afterwards. He just wanted to be with his daughter, that's all."
The Federal Bureau of Prisons has issued a statement saying, "The institution has taken unusual steps to be accommodating during this difficult time." The statement cites the four escorted trips and "additional phone calls to his family at no charge to him." But, it says, "fter careful review of the security needs of the community and the offender, the warden determined that a furlough (unescorted stay in the community) is not a viable option."
But reporter David Jespersen of CBS affiliate KOLN-TV in Lincoln says, "This was a request more for Jayci than it ever was for Jason. He wasn't asking to be set free entirely. He was just asking to be here with Jayci, and now is asking to be here with his other daughter, Shelby. As you can imagine, she's going through a very tough time right now."
The community has been very supportive of the Yaegers, Jespersen says, noting that, "We have had some e-mails saying ... the law is the law, he should stay there, but the overwhelming majority has been very supportive of the family. In fact, they're not only e-mailing our station, they're e-mailing the prison on a daily basis.
"They're also e-mailing any politician they could have to try to get something worked out. I talked with Sen. Ben Nelson's office, Sen. Chuck Hagel's office, the governor both here in Nebraska and South Dakota, and they all expressed that they received plenty of e-mails and many phone calls."
According to CBS affiliate KMTV in Omaha, Neb.:
To help the Yaeger Family:
Jayci Yaeger Fund
Wells Fargo Bank
1248 "O" Street
Lincoln, NE 68508
Guardians Inc.
1701 South 17th Street, Ste. 1D
Lincoln, NE 68502
866.477.0822
402.477.0822
To contact the Yaeger Family:
C/O Yaeger Family
PO Box 5818
Lincoln, NE 68505-5818
KMTV says on its Web site: "SWomeone is pretending to be a member of the Yaeger family, going to businesses and getting donations -- but it's all a scam -- and the family is upset. If you run across the person, call the police."
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My heart goes out to the Yeagar family and how sad that he was only 4 months from being released do those that want to sit around and judge think that in 4 months he would have REALLY been a different person? He has had almost 5 yrs to pay his debt to society. It is so unfortunate that others want to sit and judge this man for his crime had this been your loved one I will bet the bank you would have been calling the Pope if you thought it would have helped the situation.
Instead of showing sympathy for this man who lost his child this has become a forum for judging those who make mistakes. What is wrong with you people?? It is unfortunate that it took this much press and pressure for the BOP to have a heart.
Bless the family and may Jayci rest in peace it is just unfortunate that her daddy couldn''t be there when she took her last breath...
My heart goes out to the Yeagar family and how sad that he was only 4 months from being released do those that want to sit around and judge think that in 4 months he would have REALLY been a different person.. Hello... he has had almost 5 yrs to pay his debt to society. It is so unfortunate that others want to sit and judge this man for his crime.. had this been your loved one I will bet the bank you would have been calling the Pope if you thought it would have helped the situation.
Instead of showing sympathy for this man who lost his child this has become a forum for judging those who make mistakes. What is wrong with you people?? It is unfortunate that it took this much press and pressure for the BOP to have a heart.
Bless the family and may Jayci rest in peace it is just unfortunate that her daddy couldn''t be there when she took her last breath...
Yes the father did wrong, but as others have said here the little girl didnt.. she should not be punished, she was dying for goodness sake.... I dont care a fig about her stinken father, just a little girls wish to see her dad one last time and to have him hold her hand and frail body while she died..
the father can go to hell as far as I am concerned, and he might now feel what it feels like to loose someone that you love dearly, maybe he will be aware of the grief that he has perhaps caused other parents.
I dont agree with the lass not having her father by her side, but to say that the decision was unethical is really strange when the father constantly did what was unethical and didnt care about those he destroyed in the process..
And one would have to wonder if he was taking drugs when her mother got pregnant and if that helped to cause her cancer as drugs cause damage to the body and that includes the sperm...