Kiazen Charles Grant, precious infant son of Jasmine Grant, passed away surrounded by love after a courageous and extraordinary fight against Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome on March 30, 2026. Though his time here was far too short, the impact of his life will remain forever in the hearts of all who knew and loved him.

Kiazen was born on January 13, 2026, at 1:48 PM. His mother was terrified to undergo a C-section, but the moment she heard his cry and saw his sweet face for the very first time, every fear disappeared. In that instant, she knew a love deeper than words could ever describe.

From the very beginning, Kiazen showed the world just how strong he was. Sweet, precious, incredibly opinionated, and full of determination, he fought through more in his short life than most ever will.

Kiazen spent his first three days in the NICU before being transferred to the Cardiac ICU on January 17. At first, he was doing well, but on January 21, he had to be intubated for the first time. The following day, he underwent a heart catheterization procedure where doctors placed stents to help keep his vessels open.

On February 8, Kiazen moved to the progressive floor while waiting for surgery. Then on February 18, he underwent open heart surgery and returned to the Cardiac ICU. Early the next morning, everything changed when his ECMO machine clotted and stopped working, requiring 60 minutes of CPR. Soon after, his kidneys began to fail, and he was placed on dialysis. That same day, he returned to the cath lab, but doctors could not determine why he could not come off ECMO.

Still, Kiazen continued to fight.

He endured more procedures, more uncertainty, and more moments where his family feared they might lose him—but over and over again, he proved just how strong he truly was. Eventually, he came off ECMO, had his chest successfully closed, and even underwent another successful procedure to drain fluid from around his heart. For a time, he began turning a corner.

Then, in the early morning hours of March 30, Jasmine received a knock on her door at the Ronald McDonald House telling her she needed to get to the hospital immediately. When she arrived, Kiazen was struggling to maintain his oxygen levels. His doctors, nurses, surgeons, nurse practitioners, and care team did absolutely everything possible to save him. Despite medications, machines, and the highest levels of breathing support, nothing was enough.

As his oxygen levels continued to fall, Jasmine held her precious baby boy in her arms from 3:09 PM until later that evening, surrounding him with the love only a mother can give.

There is so much more to Kiazen’s story than words could ever fully tell, but one thing remains certain—Kiazen showed a strength, courage, and resilience that most people will never understand.

His family would like to express their deepest gratitude to every doctor, nurse, nurse practitioner, surgeon, and member of the palliative care team who stood beside Kiazen and fought for him every single day. Because of their care and compassion, they were given precious time with their son, and for that they will be forever thankful.

Kiazen is survived by his loving mother, Jasmine Grant of the home; sister, Legacy Bryn Ferguson of the home; grandparents, Patricia Matkins of Crumpler and Brandon Grant of West Jefferson; great-grandparents, Barbara and John Lackey of Millers Creek, Jesse and Debbie Matkins of Todd, and Keith and Elaine Casey of Glendale Springs; aunt, Hannah Grant of Crumpler; great-aunts, Mandy Woodie of Crumpler and Danielle Lewis; great-uncle, JD Matkins of Crumpler; great-great-grandmother, Viola Gaye Turnmire of Crumpler; as well as several cousins.

Services will be held on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at 1:00 PM at Ashelawn Memorial Chapel with Rev. Russell Sheets and Rev. Frank Woods officiating. The family will receive friends following the service.

We love you always and forever, Kiazen Charles Grant.