Jordan Faust

EDGERTON - It is with unimaginable hurt, we announce the passing of our beautiful baby boy, Jordan Richard Faust, at the age of 5 years old. Jordan transitioned from his physical body on Wednesday, April 6, 2022, at the University of Wisconsin Children’s Hospital, after complications from cancer.

Lovingly known as “Bubba,” “Love Bug” or “Schmordy,” Jordan was born July 21, 2016, in Madison, Wis., but lived his home life in Edgerton, Wis. In late June of 2019, weeks before his 3^rd birthday, Jordan was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma. Neuroblastoma is a rare childhood cancer of the “sympathetic nervous system” -- the network of nerves that carries messages from the brain to the rest of the body.

Jordan loved superheroes. Among his favorites were Iron Man, Captain America, The Flash, Batman, Deadpool, Black Panther, Spider-Man, but none more than The Hulk. Jordan loved to wear his Hulk hands, where he would “Hulk Smash” causing the earth around us to shake. He was the proud owner of almost every superhero action figure ever created, more impressively playing with them all. When he wasn’t playing with superheroes, he was watching superhero movies, including watching and loving Deadpool and Deadpool 2, thanks dad.

Another place of happiness was with his brothers. Whether it was playing nerf blasters with his brother, Malik, or watching his oldest brother, Skyler, play football and baseball, or simply sitting with both of them watching the iPad, this brought Jordan so much joy. When winding down for the night, nothing brought more comfort to Jordan than lying next to his mom, and as Jordan put it, “playing with mommy’s beautiful beautiful hair.”

Though his life wasn’t as long as he deserved, Jordan was able to bring light to the darkest corners of a battle with cancer. Simply put, childhood cancer is hell. During the first year after being diagnosed, he spent 320 days in the hospital, one stay which included a 19-hour surgery to remove a softball sized tumor. As awful as that is, it never broke his spirit. He would smile, laugh, inspire others, and surpass every hurdle placed in front of him.

In order to receive the chemotherapy, a “Hickman” line was placed. This is a soft, small, long, hollow tube that is placed into a vein in the chest and ends in a larger vein just above your heart. As time progressed, Jordan would lose the function of his kidneys which meant more surgery. A catheter was placed in his stomach, and he would require 10-hour nightly dialysis. As if this wasn’t enough, Jordan required what’s known as a “G/J tube,” which was placed into his stomach and small intestine, one for meds, one for nutrition. For 99.9% of the world, enduring any ONE of these would be enough to break you mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Similar to The Flash being struck by lightning, Spider-Man being bitten by a radioactive spider or Captain America receiving the super serum, it never inhibited him, it only amplified what Jordan truly was: a hero. While inspired by the heroes he saw on TV, Jordan’s heroics blazed its own trail.  A trail which others can now follow, a trail which will forever grow.

Jordan will be incredibly missed by his parents, Justin Faust and Ashley Gullickson; two brothers, Skyler Gullickson-Niesen and Malik Allen; maternal grandma, Marcia Gullickson-Ellestad; maternal grandpa, Michael "Pappie" Ellestad; paternal grandma, Sherry Wunderlin; paternal great-grandpa, Gerald Sheskey; maternal great-grandparents, Kathy and Jim Burge and Darlene and David Kruckenberg; three aunts, Amber (Bob) Barnes, Rhea (Morgan) Vacha and Nikki (Steven) Loftin; great-uncle, Mark Sheskey; and many loving family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his uncle, Devin Gullickson; paternal grandpa, Bob Wunderlin; and maternal grandpa, Richard Gullickson.

A Celebration of Life will be held at GUNDERSON OREGON FUNERAL AND CREMATION CARE, 1150 Park St., Oregon, at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, April 13, 2022. Visitation will be held at the funeral home from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 12, 2022, and also at the funeral home from 10 a.m. until the time of the service on Wednesday.

We would like to give special recognition to the Oncology and PICU nursing staff at American Family Children’s Hospital. Warm, welcoming, understanding, intelligent and caring only scratch the surface of the ways to describe them. While it would be easy to continue listing their amazing qualities, nothing was more important than the impact they made on Jordan. When a 3-year-old is getting poked, cut, injected with poison for treatment or has different teams of people checking on him… to hear him feel safe in the nurses’ presence, where safe was in short supply, meant more to him, and more to our family than one could ever imagine. Simply put, they are irreplaceable, and we can never thank you enough.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that donations be made for the following needed items to the American Family Children’s Hospital in Jordan’s name: Legos, Play-doh, crayons, slime kits and action figures.

#Jordanstrong now, and forever. Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson Oregon

Funeral & Cremation Care

1150 Park St.

(608) 835-3515