Five Lives Saved: A Mother's Story of Loss, Organ Donation, and Hope (Bacterial Meningitis)

In today's episode, we sat down with Kristen Cowan, a teacher, and mom of Rylen and Corbin. In 2017, Rylen was only 13 months old when he woke up with a fever that turned out to be bacterial meningitis. Rylen was in the hospital for about 9 days before he unfortunately passed away from the illness.

Kristen shares her journey of being in the hospital with Rylen, and how she was able to provide a new hope for other families through organ donation. Throughout the episode, Kristen unpacks how she is able to cope with the loss of Rylen by creating a legacy through the Smilin' Rylen Foundation. The foundation was made to honor Rylen by raising awareness about organ donation and assisting families in crisis by offering to pay for hospital parking passes.

Time Stamps

1:32 - Introduction to Kristen

4:29 - The Journey of Loss and Grief

9:30 - Hospital Experiences and Medical Challenges

19:30 - The Decision of Organ Donation

24:29 - Creating a Legacy

32:21 - Understanding Rylen's Health Challenges

38:08 - Finding Purpose Through Grief

41:26 - The Significance of Orange

44:15 - The Parking Pass Program

49:27 - Growing the Foundation's Impact

52:14 - Celebrating Rylen's Impact

Resources

https://www.smilinrylenfoundation.org/

https://www.facebook.com/SmilinRylenFoundation/

To listen to more episodes, head to insidethechildrenshospital.com

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Every child and family is different. Always talk with your child's healthcare team about questions or decisions related to their care.

The experiences and opinions shared by guests are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of their employers, healthcare organizations, or Inside the Children's Hospital.