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Jillian's Story – A Bright Light RememberedJillian was a happy and healthy average teenage girl, active in sports, especially basketball. Then, at 18, everything changed. Seizures appeared without warning, and after a long road of tests and uncertainty, she was diagnosed with an extremely rare form of diabetes called Subcutaneous Insulin Resistance Syndrome (SIRS). Her body simply wouldn’t accept insulin the usual way, so she needed a special port directly to her heart. That meant nearly a full year in the hospital—a chapter of unimaginable challenges, endless pokes and procedures, and no easy answers or cure in sight. When she was able to go home, she needed 24/7 nurse care to have her vitals and blood sugars checked every 30 minutes, even throughout the night. Her parents even took her to France once to try procedures that weren't available in the US. Ultimately, she needed a pancreas transplant, so the wait began to find the perfect match.
In 2016 horses entered her world—what a game changer this would become! She learned to ride, took lessons, and began to participate in local gymkhanas and barrel races. The family was of course concerned for her health and safety, but the joy and happiness it gave her overruled them all! Her nurses would go on trail rides with her just so she could be out with the horses and have the wind in her beautiful golden hair. When she started to compete, the nurses would walk alongside her horse to the arena gate, disconnect her lines, she'd make her run, and they would immediately hook her all back up. Those moments? They were her freedom, her joy, her light shining brightest.
After waiting for almost three years, the day finally came—there was a match for a new pancreas! Jillian would need to be at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota by midnight THAT day! By nothing short of a miracle, through friends and loved ones it happened. A small private jet flew her from CA to Minnesota, and she rolled through the hospital doors at 11:58pm with two minutes to spare! On August 16, 2018 Jillian was whole again.
After the transplant she had to stay in Minnesota for over 3 months, at a wonderful charity house called the "Gift of Life Transplant House." Only transplant recipients and their caregivers were able to stay there; everything was sterile and foods were prepared to keep them healthy while they were healing. For about a year after coming home, life felt new and full of promise. Then the challenges crept back: her body started producing less insulin, infections flared, her port split, and clots spread to her lungs.
Through it all, Jillian remained that same radiant light. For over 15 years she fought with quiet, fierce strength—never complaining, never giving up, never letting the pain dim her sparkle. Anyone lucky enough to know her felt it: she was inspiring, unbreakable, and so full of grit and grace. Those horses? They gave her everything she needed—freedom, purpose, pure happiness.
Jillian went to be with the Lord on December 17, 2025, leaving behind a legacy of joy, courage, and light that still warms every heart she touched.
To honor her beautiful spirit, we’re hosting a benefit barrel race in her name—all proceeds will go directly to the Gift of Life Transplant House in Rochester, Minnesota, the very place that gave her a home while she healed. It feels like the perfect way to celebrate her love of horses and keep her light shining for others facing transplant journeys.
If you’d like to contribute directly, please visit: https://gift-of-life.org/make-a-donation/
Thank you for remembering Jillian with us. She was—and always will be—our bright, beautiful light.
With love and gratitude,
The Ziegler Family
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