Tri-City man is coming home — but not the way his family hoped

Jason Harris’ family is still working to bring him home from Connecticut — but not in the way they’d hoped.

The 26-year-old, who grew up in the Tri-Cities and was featured in the Herald several times as he battled a difficult illness, died the day before Thanksgiving.

He’d moved to Connecticut last year with his father, Gary Hinman, looking forward to a change of scenery and a fresh start.

But then Hinman, who was Harris’ caregiver, was diagnosed with advanced colon cancer. He died Nov. 7.

Harris’ family in the Tri-Cities made arrangements to bring him back home to live.

Sandra Thede of Kennewick, his older sister, raised money to ship his belongings and help with his travel expenses.

Her adult daughter, Olivia — Jason’s niece — prepared a place for him in her house.

But then Harris’ conditioned worsened. He was hospitalized in Connecticut and died Nov. 22.

He would have turned 27 on Thanksgiving Day.

“It’s so hard,” Thede told the Herald by phone from Connecticut, where she’s working on arrangements to bring her brother’s remains back home. “I miss him so much.”

Harris was plagued by illness much of his life, with multiple congenital conditions.

He was born weighing a little more than 3 pounds and had unexplained fevers for years. Eventually, his lips and fingers started turning blue. He tired easily, the smallest task wiping him out.

Harris’ struggles largely stumped doctors. After his death, some of his tissue was donated for research, Thede said.

The Herald featured Harris in its pages several times during the last decade, including when he was named valedictorian of River’s Edge High School in 2012, despite rarely being able to set foot in a classroom. He did most of his learning online and with a tutor.

In 2007, when Harris was 16, he shared his frustration with being sick. “I really wish they could find something to cure me. Then I might be able to go back and finally be outside,” he said. “I’m kind of tired of being inside all the time with oxygen. I was an active little kid. I don’t really feel I have much freedom.”

Thede is heartbroken. Losing Hinman was difficult enough, and then she lost her brother, too.

“He fought so hard,” Thede said of Harris. And he should have had more time.

In the hospital, Thede was able to tell Harris how she felt about him. “I said, ‘I love you so much, dude. I admire everything about you. I want to be just like you when I grow up,’ ” she recalled.

He was a special young man, Thede said.

“He wasn’t angry or pissed off at the world because he was sick. He wanted to help other people,” she said. “He was sweet and kind and loving, he was thoughtful and generous.”

Hinman was buried in Connecticut, where he grew up, but Harris will be interred in the Tri-Cities. Thede hopes to be back home with his remains in the next week.

Plans for a memorial service aren’t yet finalized.

The last month has been difficult for the family financially. To help, go to tinyurl.com/jasonharrishome.

This story was originally published December 2, 2017 at 2:49 PM with the headline "Tri-City man is coming home — but not the way his family hoped."