Earlier today the Oregonian ran a story about the spray-painted tributes which now cover the metal trusses on an addition currently under construction at Portland Shriners Hospital. One tribute is for Jarred Schaper, who recently died from complications stemming from pneumonia and Spinal Muscular Atrophy. He was nine years old.

Jarred was the son of my cousin Robert. I only had the opportunity to meet Jarred a few times but I'll always remember his smile. He loved Pixar movies, jokes and just being a kid. He was only given a few years to live but managed to hang on for much longer than that.

It's nice to know that this memorial will grace the hospital for many years to come.