OOLTEWAH, Tenn. — Balloons can be seen floating from Ooltewah residents’ mailboxes as a gesture to honor a young boy, Sam Jessen, who died unexpectedly at 12 years old. The balloons, white and orange, represent his favorite team, the Tennessee Vols. The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office previously said he was fatally hit by a tractor-trailer at the Haunted Hilltop.
Residents are hoping the act of kindness will bring the family comfort in the midst of devastating loss.
“I would hope the family can find some strength from these small gestures that we’ve made, and maybe, that will help them a little bit,” says said Johnson, a resident of the neighborhood.
Another resident, Monica Lorren, said she and her family are friends of the Jessens. She said she has children around the same age as Sam. She said she wants the family to know that the entire neighborhood and Ooltewah community are standing alongside them.
“We just want to embrace them with our love, and we want them to know that we care so much about them,” she said.
A father himself, Johnson said he can’t imagine the impact that Sam’s loss has had on his family.
“To lose a child tragically would be incomprehensible to me,” he said.
Both Lorren and Johnson said the Ooltewah neighborhood is a tight-knit community and a place where its residents take care of one another. Lorren said she’s blessed to call a neighborhood such as this her home. Johnson said he’s not surprised to see the neighborhood participating in the gesture.
While it might be a long road to recovery, Johnson wants the family to know that the community is prepared to support the Jessen family in any way they can. Though the community mourns the loss, Johnson believes the family can take the opportunity to celebrate the beautiful life he lived.
“They can find strength in knowing he had a wonderful life up until he was taken from us,” he said.
A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help cover funeral expenses. A celebration of Sam's life will also be held on Sunday, Oct. 20, at City Church, 7122 Lee Highway in Chattanooga.
To view the celebration live at 6:00 p.m., visit City Church's website.
