Pressured by growing media coverage and a deluge of emails, letters, and phone calls from around the globe, federal authorities allowed Jason Yaeger to visit with his dying daughter, 10-year-old Jayci Yaeger yesterday afternoon.
According to family members, the only people allowed in the room with Jayci during the visit were Jason and his federal prison escorts. Nonetheless, they report that despite the fact that Jayci is unresponsive she was aware of her father's presence, something they say was evident by a noticeable increase in her breathing and a spike in her heartbeat during the visit.
I think it is important that those of you who took time to place a call or send a letter to federal authorities should be commended for your actions. Without each and every one of you this visit may have never taken place.
I would also like to commend Warden J. D. Whitehead for allowing the visit to happen. However, I still believe he should grant Jason's request for an early release to a halfway house and I encourage all of you to keep the phones ringing and the letters flowing.
President George W. Bush has yet to respond to Jason's request for clemency and the case is currently in the office of Judge Karen Schreier in Rapid City, South Dakota. According to Jason's family members, Whitehead has until April 7 to issue a response.
What You Can Do
Sign the Petition: Help Jayci be with her Dad as she dies, sponsored by Gifted Hands Mended Hearts, Nurses for Compassion.
You can find numbers for Whitehead and other government officials listed at the petition Web site. In addition, you can contact the White House with your concerns.
To help the Yaeger family with medical expenses, send donations to: Jayci Yaeger Fund, c/o Wells Fargo, 1248 "O" Street, Lincoln, NE 68508.