Jordan made us all better people
Jordan’s mother, Amy, misses “the way Jordan held my hand long into her twenties.” Jordan’s family called her “Lil Bit” because she was “a little bit of the best of all of them.” During high school, when her older sister was pregnant and swollen feet meant she could not wear heels to prom, Jordan traded her own heels for a pair of Nikes. Jordan ensured her sister wouldn’t feel alone or out of place, and that they could stand out together.
Jordan was very close with her family; as the youngest of three older sisters— Heather, Tyler, and Lyndee—she was well protected and cherished. Her stepdad, Tyrone, often took Jordan to work with him, and Amy described her as “her shadow” because of the significant time they spent together. She was “the fun aunt” according to Amy, always playing with her nieces and nephews with a flurry of kisses and laughter.
Jordan had the unique ability to bring people together. From a young age it was clear she was a peacemaker and a leader. Anytime she went to the store she would make friends with the elderly, asking her mom if she could bring them home. She loved to make people laugh, rough-housing with her relatives and teasing her brothers-in-law.
Events and holidays provided the perfect confluence of Jordan’s loving, social, creative nature. For Halloween, the Porter family would get out their craft supplies and make their own costumes from scratch. One year, Jordan was a scarecrow, with her clothes fluffed and stuffed with straw. Every Christmas, Jordan, her mother, and her three sisters would spend weeks baking and decorating cookies to give to friends and family. Jordan also loved to make wreaths and decorate the tree in unique ways each year, one time giving it a giant face. Naturally, for prom, Jordan helped cover her school in glitter galore. Her creativity extended to the garden as well, where she trimmed hedges and planted flowers with beauty and intention. She also loved to draw, creating colorful cards filled with art for her friends and family.
At sixteen, Jordan was involved in a car accident, leaving her in a coma with a collapsed lung and a severe brain injury. After her accident, she began attending classes at the local community college to be an emergency room nurse. She dreamed of helping to save others. She was a natural born caretaker with an innate sense of acceptance and love, always knowing when a person needed a compliment or a hug.
Substance use disorder increasingly strained Jordan’s relationships, causing her to become more angry, insecure, and inconsistent over time. Her struggles were a constant source of worry for Amy, who felt a deep sense of helplessness as she watched her daughter suffer. Despite these challenges, Jordan’s bright and unique personality continues to resonate with those who knew her.
In her wake, her influence persists. Her friend Cody, deeply affected by Jordan’s suffering, is now pursuing a career as a rehabilitation counselor, driven by the desire to help others in similar situations and to prevent losing someone as precious as Jordan ever again. A dear friend has chosen to honor Jordan’s memory by naming her newborn son after her. Amy, too, is committed to keeping her daughter’s legacy alive through her work with Families Supporting Families, where she advocates for changes in the legal landscape surrounding substance use disorder and offers support to other families facing similar struggles.
Jordan’s mother, Amy Porter, provided the information for this narrative
February 13, 1997-June 1, 2023-Age 26
Portrait Artist: Shawn Faust
Narrative Writer: Livia Cohen
