Although Rex died in November of 2019, his heart still beats.

My 17-year-old nephew loved helping people, so after his unexpected and tragic passing, arrangements were made for organ and tissue recovery. My brother and Rex’s mom and siblings wanted to take their devastating loss and create something meaningful; the hope was that their decision would help dozens of people go on living.

It was one last contribution from the boy who was, fittingly, a Life Scout – the second-highest rank, a step below Eagle Scout – and it was offered, without hesitation, to the collective.

Daniel Smith Jr.*, age 15, was clear in telling me that he didn’t want an adoptive family.

This wasn’t unusual. Nearly every teenager I worked with – removed from birth parents, under guardianship of the State, and living within the foster care system – said this to me at some point in our work together.

To most folks not involved in the day-to-day realm of working with teens in foster care, I realize that this might sound strange.

But it really wasn’t.

In 2014, a mountain knocked on my door, and took up residence in my life.

A crush injury, they called it. And what a fitting term - I have been crushed, quite literally. (Quite metaphorically, too, if we’re being honest.)

I recall back on that autumn day, I looked to the future with enthusiastic anticipation: Two days prior, I had resigned from the nonprofit that I’d cofounded in order to pursue other dreams. But that mountain had other ideas for me, and although I didn’t realize it at the time, a long road to recovery would follow.

“Jen, wait up a second!”

As I heard my name, I turned around and saw Ann* approaching with a serious look on her face. I started getting worried; we’d been having regular disagreements over my work for more than a year.

“I heard the radio documentary yesterday…” Ann began.

My work with two teen siblings in foster care had recently been featured in a one-hour documentary on National Public Radio. At the time, I was working for a five-year federally funded project with the goal of finding adoptive and permanent families for Minnesota teens under state guardianship.

“…and I need to talk to you.”