Kari accepted Jesus as Saviour at 5, and her relationship with him remained the most important in her life. At 10, she experienced chest pains and shortness of breath from idiopathic cardiomyopathy. She had a heart transplant in 1989 in Pittsburgh, Pa. Life was challenging, physically and emotionally, but Kari trusted God completely, knowing that her life could be short. She was fluent in sign language, a skill she used in her profession as an educational assistant. Kari had compassion for hurting and challenged children. She gave many summers to working at children’s camps and took several mission trips to Mexico and Cuba. Her desire was to share Jesus. Kari married the love of her life, Jordan, and a year later was admitted into hospital with complications to her heart and kidneys. Following several procedures, she died.
