Jovante Woods was a wonderful child and a very respectful young man. He suffered from severe asthma, but that never deterred him from living a very full and active life. Given his father Ickey's starring role for the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals, football was a big part of Jovante's family life. On August 11, 2010, after a typical hot and muggy day, Jovante went home from football practice and had an asthma attack, which caused a fatal anoxic brain injury. Jovante had designated himself as an organ and tissue donor on his license. With his organ donation, Jovante was able to save four lives and countless others as a tissue donor.

Jovante's Story

Jovante Woods was a wonderful child, a very respectful young man, and most of all, clean. He would come home from school and change from school clothes to play clothes, hanging the items he just removed. He suffered from severe asthma, but he never complained and that never deterred him from living a very full and active life. His father (Ickey Woods, former running back for the Cincinnati Bengals) and mother both had asthma as children, so they felt confident that it could be controlled. Football was a big part of Jovante's family life. Jovante was determined not just to play football, but he also excelled in basketball, track, and dabbled in baseball. He was faithful to working out and keeping fit despite his asthma. He was an exceptional young man who often times seemed to be wise beyond his years.

On August 11, 2010, after a typical hot and muggy day, Jovante went home from football practice and had an asthma attack. Jovante's inhaler was low due to the constant usage from previous days. He asked his younger brother, Aubrhee, to run to the neighbor's house to borrow one from a teammate. By the time Aubrhee returned, Jovante was already unconscious and unresponsive. Jovante had suffered an anoxic brain injury as a result of his asthma attack. Jovante was rushed to the hospital, but after three days in a coma, Jovante was gone. "My heart was broken and I can tell you that there is no deeper pain than losing a child," said his mother, Chandra. "I wanted to believe I was dreaming and I often still feel like that."

Jovante had designated himself as an organ and tissue donor on his license. "Knowing who my son was and the character and integrity he had, I was not surprised," said Chandra. "Although it was hard because that meant accepting our son's passing as reality, we supported his decision to donate his organs." With his organ donation, Jovante was able to save four lives and countless others as a tissue donor. Chandra continued, "Nothing pleases me more than knowing my son lives on through others and I would very much love to meet those recipients one day."

Jovante's family chose to honor his memory by starting a foundation in his name. The purpose of the Jovante Woods Foundation is to create stronger awareness about the importance of organ and tissue donation, to educate more people about asthma, and give scholarships every year to athletic students with a 3.8 or better GPA.