Danielle Elyce Jacobs

Danielle Elyce Jacobs was born on April 16, 1991 in Davenport, Iowa. She is survived by her mother Stacia Clarke-Cowen, father Charles Cowen, her two older brothers Clayton and Justin, and her dog Samson. Danielle also had a number of aunts, uncles and cousins, as well as her paternal grandparents Charles and Judith Cowen, and maternal Grandfather William Riggle. As a child, Danielle loved participating in a variety of sports. She won several wrestling meets, was on the Poston Swim Team in Mesa, played basketball in junior high school, and was an assistant to the coach for Goal Ball: a sport for the visually -impaired. Danielle loved dogs and when younger, was often found flying down the street on her longboard being pulled by her dog Duchess. Danielle graduated from Mountain View High School and desiring to become a veterinarian, she volunteered at the Maricopa Humane Society. Danielle learned to train dogs to be used as service animals. Danielle also volunteered at Halo Animal Shelter, where she found her passion in life. Danielle adopted different dogs from the shelter, including her dog Sampson, with whom she created a unique and wonderful bond. Danielle voluntarily taught other people how to train service animals, which would benefit and enrich their lives. Last year Danielle embraced a new gender identity and began the transition towards becoming Kayden Clarke. Kayden continued to help dog owners train their dogs for service animal work. He was employed at Target for almost a year and when not working, he continued training his own service animal, Samson. Kayden, who struggled with Autism, Mental Health Issues and a learning disability, began posting internet videos documenting the training he did with Samson and the benefits Samson brought into his life as a supportive friend. Kayden hoped these videos might educate others about Autism and mental health awareness, Learning Disabilities, and being transgender. Kayden loved to wear dress shirts, ties and vests and you could often find him sporting a baseball cap. He always did like Ellen DeGeneres' sense of style. Kayden and his mother Stacia loved sharing sunsets, singing songs using sign language , or just spending time with one another. He and his father loved learning about engines and sharing their interests in dogs and photography. Kayden dreamed of going to college in the fall and had begun showing interest in becoming a therapist. On February 4, 2016 Kayden passed away unexpectedly and tragically, though he had already touched the hearts of many within such a short life span. He was loved deeply by his family and Samson, and will be missed every moment of every day.