GoFundMe Set Up For SD Father Who Unexpectedly Passes Away

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for a 35-year-old South Dakota man who unexpectedly passed away while vacationing in Florida with his family over the holidays.

After arriving in Florida on Saturday, December 23rd, Jake Brakke and his family settled into their Airbnb for an enjoyable evening of rest and relaxation. Jake and his father stepped out to grab some food for the household before winding down the night with a game of Yahtzee.

Later that evening, Rilie and Jake stepped outside. Suddenly, Jake began coughing very hard, ultimately falling backward and hitting his head on the concrete. When Rilie helped him up, Jake struggled to recall much of what happened. An ambulance rushed Jake to the hospital, where it was determined that he had a brain bleed. Jake was then sedated and placed on a ventilator.

Get our free mobile app

After nearly a week of battling in the ICU, Jake tragically passed away on Saturday, December 30th.

Jake is survived by Rilie, his significant other for the past 13 years, their daughter, Harper, who will turn nine in February, his father, Jason Brakke (J.D. Collins of KIKN Country), his mother Cindy, and brothers, Logan and Tad.

Jake was a truck driver and worked for Windwalker Transportation in Sioux Falls, making runs mostly to the East Coast, but he had traveled to almost every state in the U.S.

One of his great passions in life was fish. Jake had over a dozen fish tanks in his home and one of his dreams was to, one day, own his fish store.

Jake was a huge fan of the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay was also the place of his birth, as his dad was working there at a radio station at the time.

He was also an avid outdoorsman. He would often take his family on camping trips, most recently, this past summer to the Black Hills.

But most of all, Jake loved his family and will be forever missed by everyone fortunate enough to cross paths with him in this life.

Jake was the kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back, and his wish was to provide life-giving possibilities to those in desperate need. Three people and their families, along with medical research, will benefit from Jake's organ donations.

To donate to Jake's family and help alleviate the financial burden that comes from losing a loved one, please visit the GoFundMe link here. Your donation will not only help offset the costs of losing Jake but will also help Rilie and Harper.

Story Source: GoFundMe Website