Juniper Jayde Gerritson

Juniper Jayde Gerritson, age 4 months, passed away peacefully in the loving embrace of her parents in the beautiful sunshine on Easter morning, Sunday, April 20, 2025, at Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee.

She was born on November 26, 2024 in Milwaukee, WI to Savanna Seiser and Ryan Gerritson. Juniper, affectionately known as Juni, June Bug, Peanut, Peani, Juni Pop, Juni P, Peanerdoodle, Sweet Pea, Sweetie Pie, Baby Hulk, Bug, and many more was fiercely loved by every single person she met.

Juni was born with Congenital Heart Disease. What was thought to be a simple surgery turned into a long battle for her life. Juni is the true definition of strength and resilience. She surprised her medical team many times with her ability to persevere and overcome many obstacles in her care. She never gave up, and neither did her team.

Some of Juni's favorite things included laying on dad’s chest, holding hands (everyday with Ashley from RT), a good head and temple rub, gentle messages from the Rachels in physical therapy, and being sung to by mom and Hallie from Children’s Music Therapy. Her favorite song being Down By The Bay, or Home by Edward Sharpe, and the Magnetic Zeros (moms favorite that she sang every day to her when she was home). She loved snuggling with her stuffed animals (especially wormy) and being held. Juni did not get to experience much of the outside world in her short time with us, but she did experience an immense amount of love. Her parents are so extremely proud of her, and are so incredibly thankful for every second they were able to spend with her.

She will be remembered for her precious cheeks, her long eye lashes, her gorgeous head of hair that was starting to turn strawberry blonde, her Juni-brow, her incredible ability to simultaneously pull off a Mohawk and a mullet, her side eye, her grunts, her impeccable sense of fashion, and her incredible strength. Juni overcame feats that no adult would survive; she is truly an inspiration.

She is remembered by her father, Ryan Gerritson and her mother, Savanna Seiser; her pets at home: Scooter, Maddie, Daisy, Pico, and Catsby; her grandpa and grandma, Daniel (Scott) Gerritson and Pamela Gerritson; great-grandma, Kay Vande Zande; aunt, Olivia Gerritson; and many more of the Gerritson extended family; her Oma and Opa, Christina and Justin Meisenheimer; her nanna and papa, Matt and Jessica Seiser; her great-grandma and great- grand dad, Donna Hesprich and Peter Hesprich (also affectionately known as Gigi & Pipi); and her aunts and uncles: Jayde LeFebvere (who Juni was named after), Javi Perez, Evyn LeFebvere, Cody Seiser, and Melissa (Justin) Hetchler; and her primary care team, especially her primary nurse Avery who we like to think Juni would refer to as “my liege”.

Thank you to every doctor, surgical team, respiratory therapist, OT/PT, and nurse who cared for Juni and loved Juni.

…You can relax now nurse Alyssa (aka public enemy number 1)

We will not be holding a traditional funeral service but will be holding a celebration of life in the weeks coming.

A poem for our Sweetie Pie

On the Death of the Beloved by John O’Donohue

Though we need to weep your loss,
You dwell in that safe place in our hearts,
Where no storm or night or pain can reach you.

Your love was like the dawn
Brightening over our lives
Awakening beneath the dark
A further adventure of colour.

The sound of your voice
Found for us
A new music
That brightened everything.

Whatever you enfolded in your gaze
Quickened in the joy of its being;
You placed smiles like flowers
On the altar of the heart.
Your mind always sparkled
With wonder at things.

Though your days here were brief,
Your spirit was live, awake, complete.

We look towards each other no longer
From the old distance of our names;
Now you dwell inside the rhythm of breath,
As close to us as we are to ourselves.

Though we cannot see you with outward eyes,
We know our soul's gaze is upon your face,
Smiling back at us from within everything|
To which we bring our best refinement.

Let us not look for you only in memory,
Where we would grow lonely without you.
You would want us to find you in presence,
Beside us when beauty brightens,
When kindness glows
And music echoes eternal tones.

When orchids brighten the earth,
Darkest winter has turned to spring;
May this dark grief flower with hope
In every heart that loves you.

May you continue to inspire us:

To enter each day with a generous heart.
To serve the call of courage and love
Until we see your beautiful face again
In that land where there is no more separation,
Where all tears will be wiped from our mind,
And where we will never lose you again.