Jenny Bizaillion, 31-year-old mother, wife, sister and daughter, passed away Monday afternoon at Baylor Grapevine Hospital.
Bizaillion, a former Ko Jo Kai member, was admitted to the hospital Feb. 4 with what was thought to be the flu but was diagnosed as pneumonia. This developed into sepsis, or an infection in the bloodstream, according to the Gregg Pearson Foundation Web site. She fought the infection until her death at 3:38 p.m. Monday afternoon, according to the CarePages Web site.
Mark Lewis, director of Spiritual Life, said Bizaillion and her husband were involved in a Wednesday night Bible study at the Lewis’ home during their time at school – Bizaillion attended ACU from 1996-1999 – and Lewis witnessed their work as volunteers with the Highland Church of Christ middle school ministry.
“Jenny was just a very gentle person with a peaceful presence,” Lewis said. “She was very approachable to anybody that she came to know and a very loving, kind person.”
Lewis said Bizaillion also participated in an internship with children at Highland.
“More evidence of her abilities with young people,” he said. “Just a really neat person.”
Lanna Armstrong, senior accounting major from Dallas and president of Ko Jo Kai, said although club members did not have contact with Bizaillion during her illness and hospitalization, members’ mothers who pledged were friends with Bizaillion, attended church with her and remember her coming to club breakfasts.
“Even if someone isn’t in club the same time you are, they did the same thing you did; they did Sing Song, and they were where you are,” Armstrong said. “She was so young, some of the girls here knew her, and it touched our hearts to have this group where we can support her even though she’s not here anymore.”
KJK support included donations at the club’s Sing Song breakfast, a gift basket to Bizaillion’s daughter, cards to her family, T-shirts in honor of Bizaillion, an upcoming bake sale with Sigma Theta Chi and an all-club social. The $10 potluck-style social will take place March 7 in the Hunter Welcome Center, and all donations from these events will go to Bizaillion’s church and toward her medical bills, Armstrong said.
“Our goal by May is to have a big donation and try to raise money until their medical bills are paid off,” she said.
The rest of the ACU community also reached out to Bizaillion in prayer and donations. The winners of Sing Song, in particular, donated all prize money to the Bizallion family after the winners were announced Saturday evening.
“It was kind of nice that Sing Song was pushing for a goal this year,” Armstrong said. “Yeah, we didn’t win, but in the end it turned out good because that gave us motivation to fight for something instead of Sing Song. Now we were fighting for a cause, and I think that really touched our hearts.”
A “Praying for Jenny Bizaillion” Facebook page was created where members could donate to the Gregg Pearson Foundation, a nonprofit organization that aims to “help individuals directly that struggle with cancer and its indelible effects on themselves and their families” and “directly support other organizations that share in our same mission and desires.”
Bizaillion’s viewing took place Wednesday and her memorial service took place at 1 p.m. Thursday at Richland Hills Church of Christ in Fort Worth. The service was streamed live at www.livestream.com/rhchurch.
The Bizaillion family asks donations be made through the Gregg Pearson Foundation by visiting the Web site, www.greggpearson.org, clicking “Donate” and entering “GPF Benevolence” in the memo line.
