kellen jackley

We presented Kellen Jackley with a 2021 Youth Rock Star Humanitarian Award to honor his commitment to extraordinary humanitarian efforts at a young age despite living with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. 

Kellen is a survivor of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) which affects only 1 in 4400 newborns born every year; a diagnosis that is fatal without immediate intervention after birth.

He essentially was born with only half a heart, due to a rare, complex heart defect that inhibited his left ventricle from growing while his heart was developing. His surviving right ventricle was reconstructed to perform the job of both through a series of staged open-heart surgeries; the first at just 2 days old.

At age 3, he was granted a Make-a-Wish trip to meet Mickey Mouse in Walt Disney World and that’s when he discovered Give Kids the World Village and it changed the way he saw the world. It was a life-changing experience that inspired his family to move from Pennsylvania to Central Florida to join GKTW in their mission to serve families like his.

Kellen and his sister, Kaylin, became Child Ambassadors of Give Kids the World Village in 2019; raising awareness and funding by sharing their story, attending local & out of state events and telling everyone they know about this magical place. 

Kellen has taken his journey of defying the odds and fighting for survival into a mission to inspire others and help kids living with a life-threatening illness, like him, to change their life’s story beyond their diagnosis.

Inspired by his life-changing experience at Give Kids the World Village during his Make-a-Wish trip, he created a painting he called “Darkness to Light” which he describes as “how my heartfelt when I walked into Give Kids the World Village.” It features beautiful rays of color emanating from a black mass of darkness. He unveiled his heartfelt masterpiece while telling his story at the 2019 Annual GKTW Gala and surprised attendees by donating it that night’s silent auction. With a winning bid of $8,400, it inspired Kellen to continue raising funds for GKTW in creative ways. 

Kellen’s Giveback

• Participates in social media events, marketing campaigns, news interviews, Village events & celebrations, and local charity events to raise awareness & funding for GKTW.

• Continues to share his story on stage at various fundraising events benefiting GKTW.

• Attends post-event check presentations celebrating the generous donors & supporters. 

• For the past 2 years, Kellen has encouraged his mom to participate in the annual Over the Edge fundraising event for GKTW and cheers her on as she rappels 428 feet down the side of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in an effort to match his bravery.

• During the pandemic, GKTW had to suspend their operations for 8 months; affecting over 5,000 family visits to the Village. The closure gave them the unique opportunity to open the Village to the public by creating a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see what goes on behind the closed gates via a safe, ticketed event called Night of a Million Lights. (Kellen fittingly compared this to getting a Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.) Kellen and his sister participated in media events promoting NML and even got the opportunity to share his story with regular GKTW supporters like John Stamos, Jodi Benson, Hearts of Reality stars, NXT/WWE superstars, Mania Club members, Village staff & volunteers, and local news outlets and social media influencers.

• Donated free pizza coupons to the community & first responders during the pandemic (COVID testing site & local emergency room staff, law enforcement and our mail/package carriers…) and made signs thanking them for all they are doing to keep us safe.

• His “Darkness to Light” painting was featured on the annual GKTW Challenge for Hope medal in 2020 given to all participants and in support of the event, he encouraged friends & family to join along in the virtual race (normally held at GKTW but hosted virtually due to the pandemic). He participated in the livestream event telling everyone what it meant to have his art featured on the medal & how events like these help families like his.

• He donates all proceeds from his art sales. He is a mixed media artist creating pieces inspired by GKTW and says “I am inspired by things that fill my heart with happiness and joy! My art is created with these warm feelings and I hope people are filled with love when they see my art.” 

Kellen’s goal in life is to make the world a better place by reminding people of what’s most important; creating their own headlines, loving & supporting everyone, and doing their part to be kind and enrich the lives of others. Families are given hope & a chance to heal by creating happy memories filled with love and the generosity of others. Kellen will spend the rest of his life with the mission to change the lives of kids fighting the toughest battles and those supporting them along the way.