{"id":460215,"date":"2026-10-08T15:20:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T15:20:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/460215\/"},"modified":"2026-10-08T15:20:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-08T15:20:14","slug":"meet-westyn-front-porch-news-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/460215\/","title":{"rendered":"MEET WESTYN – Front Porch News Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0\n<\/p>\n

\"\"\n<\/p>\n

His Story \u2022 Our Family \u2022 Why We Started\n<\/p>\n

BEFORE YOU HEAR WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM, WE WANT YOU TO MEET HIM.<\/p>\n

Westyn Bryan Mandrell was our \u201cBubby Bear\u201d and our little Texas tornado. He was born with GBS and spent his first 10 days in the NICU. We could not even hold him when he was first born. As a baby he was very colicky, and because his daddy worked long hours, many of those early days were just me and Westyn. Those were hard days for me until we found the vacuum cleaner and how it soothed him and would stop his crying almost instantly, so it ran for hours on end.\n<\/p>\n

At 8 months old, he started walking and skipped right over crawling.
\nAt 9 months, the colic finally eased \u2014 and the Texas tornado really took off.
\nHe climbed, ran, banged, explored, and got into everything. He was always full speed.
\nHe was famous for losing one shoe out of every pair.
\nHis first little sound sounded to us like \u201cObi-Wan Kenobi.\u201d He talked later than he walked and had only a few words.
\nHe loved his Daddy, Bubba and Paw Paw, and his little bottom teeth made his smile unforgettable.<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nThe Day Everything Changed: November 8, 2022<\/p>\n

A PHONE CALL NO PARENT SHOULD EVER HAVE TO RECEIVE.\n<\/p>\n

One day Westyn was home with me and unusually calm, and I remember thinking maybe my wild little boy was finally slowing down. The next day I left to clean a house nearby while my mother-in-law watched him. About 45 minutes later, I got the call that changed our lives.\n<\/p>\n

He was eating lunch and had choked. Jeri had called the ambulance after she couldn\u2019t get it out and they arrived in less than 5 minutes but when they left the house he was not breathing. They couldn\u2019t get the fruit out until he reached the hospital, and by then it was too late. We were also told later he was beginning to get sick and his tonsils were very swollen, which contributed to the choking.\n<\/p>\n

HOW WESTYN\u2019S STORY BECAME OUR PURPOSE
\nThe Question We Could Not Stop Asking<\/p>\n

After Westyn died, we were devastated and completely shocked. It was hard to understand how something like this could happen to our family. I kept thinking: \u201cThere has to be something more that could have been done.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

I had already experienced the unimaginable loss of a child. Losing Westyn made me realize how quickly a normal day can become a parent\u2019s worst nightmare. We had to turn our tragedy into something that meant something.\n<\/p>\n

\"\"\n<\/p>\n

Then Someone Told Us About LifeVac<\/p>\n

A friend who worked with the sheriff\u2019s office told us about LifeVac, a device we had never heard of. It was an airway clearance device that removed obstructions by sucking them out. Essentially a mini plunger for your throat. He wanted to equip every Rains County patrol car with one in Westyn\u2019s honor. Then the Women\u2019s Service Club wanted to make Westyn their yearly project and place one in every restaurant, school and daycare in our small town. LifeVac was such a big help, they gave marketing materials, and guidance as we began building the foundation.\n<\/p>\n

Restaurants in Emory received airway-clearance devices.
\nWe equipped local schools and daycares with devices as well.
\nWe focused on awareness, education, access to emergency resources, and helping communities prepare for choking emergencies.
\nWhat began as one family\u2019s loss quickly became a mission to help protect other children.<\/p>\n

About a month after the devices went into the schools, a kindergarten student choked on a quarter. The LifeVac we had provided was in the cafeteria, and staff were able to retrieve it and use it during the emergency. In that moment it felt like we were doing what we were meant to do, a reminder that Westyn\u2019s story was reaching places we never could have imagined and saving lives.\n<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nTHE SCHOOL ASKED FOR MORE<\/p>\n

The school contacted us about getting more devices\u2013 enough to have one in every elementary classroom. We realized this could not stop in our town. We needed to advocate for schools all across Texas.\n<\/p>\n

OUR MISSION<\/p>\n

To raise choking awareness, help schools\/daycares\/anyone access airway-clearance devices, educate families, and use Westyn\u2019s story to push for meaningful change.\n<\/p>\n

WE TOOK WESTYN\u2019S STORY TO AUSTIN<\/p>\n

Once we knew our purpose, we reached out to Texas state leaders. Our family traveled to Austin, testified before the committee, and worked through the legislative process to make school access to airway-clearance devices part of Texas law. HB 549 passed and was named the Westyn Bryan Mandrell Act. It was a proud day for our family. It could not bring Westyn back, but it gave his name a place in a change that can help other families.\n<\/p>\n

From a Family\u2019s Loss to Texas Law<\/p>\n

THE WESTYN BRYAN MANDRELL ACT \u2014 HB 549\n<\/p>\n

\"\"
\nOUR FAMILY KEPT GOING<\/p>\n

One month after losing Westyn, I unexpectedly became pregnant with my baby girl, Josalynn (Jojo). For a while she looked so much like Westyn that it felt like seeing a little piece of him again. As she grew, her personality became completely different \u2014 calm, sweet, and hardly ever crying. She did not replace Westyn. She became part of how our family learned to heal and keep moving forward.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

WHAT WE DO
\nOur Mission and What We Do<\/p>\n

Choking-awareness education \u2022 Outreach to schools, daycares, restaurants and families \u2022 Fundraising and community events \u2022 Support for access to airway-clearance resources \u2022 Advocacy \u2022 Keeping Westyn\u2019s story alive through service\n<\/p>\n

Westyn\u2019s Run\/Walk<\/p>\n

Saturday, October 31, 2026 \u2022 7:00 AM check-in \u2022 8:00 AM start \u2022 Emory \/ Rains County Courthouse\n<\/p>\n

\u00bc-mile Little Steps \u2022 1-mile Family Fun \u2022 5K (3.1 miles) \u2022 Costume contest \u2022 Vendors \u2022 Family fun\n<\/p>\n

\u201cI never wanted my baby boy to be forgotten or for his name to not be spoken. That will never happen.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

His name will be spoken, and his life will save lives for years to come.\n<\/p>\n

RUN FOR A REASON \u2022 WALK WITH A PURPOSE\n<\/p>\n

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