Our Nation is “tough on crime.” Lawmakers in every state all over the nation want to put wrongdoers into jail so they can pay their debt to society. It seems pretty clear cut, this system of doing something bad and going to jail. There are even companies who cater to inmate greeting cards. Then comes the gray areas.

In the news recently was the story of a ten-year-old girl diagnosed with brain cancer. While these stories are always hard to hear, this little girl had an especially heart-wrenching story. Four and a half years ago, this small girl’s father was put into prison for a drug conviction. Since being put into prison, Jason Yeager, the girl’s father, has been allowed to see his daughter in the hospital four times. The family has asked for Mr. Yeager to be released to a half-way house so that he could be by his ill daughter’s side. The requests for an early release was denied, and sadly, the girl, Jayci Yeager, passed away yesterday.

While it is heartbreaking to think of a little girl not having her father at her side when she drew her last breath, I believe that the state did a lot to make the four visits to Jayci possible. Mr. Yeager still had 18% of his sentence left, and as much as we want to be compassionate, there are rules that need to be followed. Mr. Yeager broke the law, and it is my only hope that this experience will help turn him around. If you would like to help this Yeagers during this hard time, you can donate to the Jayci Yaeger Fund at Wells Fargo Bank, 1248 “O” Street, Lincoln, NE 68508. To contact the Yeager’s directly, write to C/O Yaeger Family, PO Box 5818, Lincoln, NE 68505-5818.