A birthday celebration went terribly wrong as part of a docudrama presented recently to Linn R-2 students in which a group of Linn High School teens partied in a field with a bonfire and plenty of alcohol — too much, it turns out, as these students were faced with an overdose.

FACS Sponsor Christine Miller organized the event and said it is one of the most important side projects she works on every year.

“It has a powerful effect on all involved and those viewing it whether in person or through video,” she said. “The goal of the program is to save one life. We hope to impact all of the students and their future decisions. It is great working with these kids, because they feel the impact of the project, and you can see the passion they hold. Maggie Roberts and Josh Krull are a huge help in putting these together, we couldn't do it without them.”

Roberts is with the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety, and Krull is theOsage Ambulance District (OAD) administrator and his crew members, paramedics Nicole Ellis and Stephanie McCulloch, worked the scene.

“We were happy to partner with the school on this important awareness project,” said Krull. “Hopefully it will make a difference.”

THE SCENE UNFOLDS

Linn R-2 board member Naomi Klouzek played the part of a parent who allowed the drinking to take place, and senior Jessica Keilholz portrayed a teen who had overindulged, resulting in alcohol poisoning. After being helped away from the group, she was left to rest on the ground. It wasn’t until later that friends found her unconscious and not breathing.

A classmate, Austin McKim, called 911 but attempts to revive Keilholz were unsuccessful.

Osage County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene, led by Cpt. Travis Shaffer.

Deputies detected no pulse and students, along with the parent, watched in silent horror as responders took over the scene.

OAD was dispatched for a reported unconscious person. When crews arrived on scene it was determined the patient did not have a pulse and was not breathing. Paramedics began resuscitation efforts immediately. Crews determined the patient had rolled onto her back and vomited at some point, which caused an airway obstruction. Due to the level of intoxication the patient was unable to roll to her side or clear her own airway.

“The important message from an EMS perspective is to never leave an intoxicated person alone when they have ‘passed out.’ If a friend or family member would have been monitoring this teen, they would have been responsible for making sure she was always lying on her side in case of vomiting,” said Krull. “That would reduce the chances of an airway obstruction happening. Someone could have also called 911 much sooner to get emergency responders coming. Unfortunately for this teen, in this scenario, too much time passed from the time she stopped breathing to when help arrived. Irreversible brain damage begins to occur within 4-6 minutes after a person stops breathing.”

Klouzek, meanwhile, told deputies she didn’t know whether the victim’s parents knew she was partying at her farm. “She just drank too much,” Klouzek said. “I saw she was chugging vodka and I took it away.”

OAD crews attempted to resuscitate the victim, to no avail.

Responding to the scene as well was Osage County Coroner AJ Probst, who pronounced Keilholz dead at the scene.

Classmates tearfully called her name but Cpt. Shaffer kept them at bay. “I know this is really hard for you guys right now but I need you to back up,” he said. “I know you guys are upset and distraught and I understand that.”

The sound of the zipper closing the body bag was a stark indicator of the seriousness of the situation as Keilholz’s body was prepared for transport. She was taken to Millard Family Chapels in Linn.

Cpt. Shaffer advised everyone of their Miranda rights and deputies began to ask questions of her classmates. It was immediately determined that no one — save the property owner — was over the age of 21.

Most of the students were 18, but some were 17, and three were under the age of 17.

Deputy Matt Johnson questioned Klouzek, who admitted knowing that all the students on her property were drinking alcohol and were not of legal age to do so. “I didn’t realize it was a problem because I didn’t know,” she said.

“Do you know the legal age for consumption of alcohol in the United States and the state of Missouri?” Deputy Johnson asked.

“Yeah, 21,” Klouzek replied.

“And are any of these children over the age of 21?” Johnson asked.

“No,” she said.

“So you willingly knew they were under age and breaking the law, correct?” Johnson asked.

“Yeah,” Klouzek said.

“And now a young lady is potentially deceased because of it,” Johnson said.

Klouzek was taken into custody and processed at the Osage County Detention Center.

“Can you just tell me why I’m here?” Klouzek asked after being fingerprinted.

“You’re here, ma’am because you allowed underage individuals to drink on your property, which is illegal,” Johnson said.

“But I didn’t buy them any alcohol,” Klouzek replied.

“I understand that but unfortunately, a young lady lost her life due to your actions by allowing it,” Johnson said.

“But I took it away from her,” Klouzek protested. “I didn’t force her to drink it. How is this my fault?”

“That’s something for the prosecutor to figure out but you did contribute by allowing them to drink on your property knowing it was illegal,” Johnson said. “That’s why you’re here.”

REMEMBERING JESSICA

One of the most emotional elements of the docudrama was the aftermath of the incident.

At a celebration of life, classmates gathered to remember Keilholz, who was just 17 when she passed away.

Dr. Nan Keilholz, Jessica’s mother, told those gathered at the celebration of life that it had been a terribly painful day for the family.

“We were supposed to be planning prom and graduation and moving off to college,” she said tearfully. “Nothing could have prepared us for this. The large crowd present here today is proof that Jessica was well-liked and was a gift to her family. Lenny and I were privileged that God entrusted us with her care for almost 18 years. Most of you have known Jessica for a while, as a teammate, classmate, and friend, but as her mother, I have had the blessing of knowing her for longer than anyone.”

Dr. Keilholz added that when Jessica was born on her father’s birthday, it was the best birthday gift anyone could have had.

“Her birth, like most things, was on her terms,” said Dr. Keilholz. “She was determined to be different from her sister from the first moment. Most of you would acknowledge that she could be a little sassy and a little stubborn. That spirit was part of her charm and part of what made her so special, and also what helped her succeed. In a lot of ways, she was probably like most teenage girls. She was terrified of wearing the wrong clothes or having messy hair. She loved hanging out with her friends. She loved Hallmark movies, and she loved country music.”

Dr. Keilholz said that despite the circumstances surrounding her death, “Jessica was a good kid. You could find her most Saturday evenings sitting in a church pew at St. George with her dad, sister, and me, after which, we’d go out to eat. She would have wanted me to share with you a bible verse.”

She read Lamentations, Chapter 3, Verses 31-33: “For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.”

Dr. Keilholz said that a Texas vacation was on Jessica’s bucket list, and the family had scheduled a trip for this summer. “She laughingly shared her dream of sitting in the stands at a Texas rodeo and have some cowboy toss his hat from the arena, the beginning of her own version of a Hallmark movie.”

Dr. Keilholz added that she will cherish the many memories of her daughter but Jessica’s bucket list will go unfinished, her Hallmark movie never written.

“For most of you, tomorrow will be just another day,” Dr. Keilholz said. “You might remember her with sadness every once in a while when a memory reminds you of her, but for some of us, it will be the beginning of endless days trying to figure out how to go on without her.”

Fellow Linn student Lindsey Brandt recalled the good things about her friendship with Keilholz and had a few choice words about the incident.

“Looking back on that night makes me regret every decision that led up to it,” she said. “How could I be such an awful friend to not realize you were needing help? You were suffering and we didn’t see it. You were so innocent, and not in a bad way. You did what was best for yourself and you never let peer pressure get in the way. You weren’t interested in the party life and I knew how important it was for you to stay that way. Even though you felt that way, you never judged those who didn’t make the same decisions as you. We all let you down that night, Jess. We let your family down and we let our families down. What happened the night she passed does not reflect the Jessica we have come to know and love. Jessica is still the kind of person I need in my life. She kept me level-headed and never failed to reach out to me when I needed help.”

Brandt recalled the nights spent with Keilholz driving around talking about life’s biggest problems.

“She was my safe place,” said Brandt. “I’m so proud of all of her accomplishments.”

Keilholz was planning to attend college to play softball, a dream Brandt said they had shared since childhood. After all the drama and craziness of senior year, Brandt said it was Keilholz that kept them together.

“This was supposed to be our summer, Jess,” Brandt continued. “What happened? Why did you have to leave us so soon? I would do anything to get one more Jeep ride with you. I hope you find peace and happiness and look down over us. I promise to do everything in my power to not let you down again. I don’t know what I’ll do without my best friend, but what I do know is that because of Jessica Keilholz, I will be a better person.”

Classmate Austin McKim said he knew Jessica to be a lot of things: best friend, a crush, and even an enemy at one point.

“When you moved to Linn High School, I was nervous you would hate me like you did at St. George, but luckily for me, that was not the case,” McKim said. “When I look back at these last four years of high school, I can’t think of a day that went by when I didn’t want to see my best friend smile. All the road trips, all the phone calls, the weddings, and the slow dances we’ve had together make me wish I had more time with you. Jessica, you have the purest soul of anyone I know. You hardly complained. You were always smiling and being that little light in the dark for everyone who was lucky enough to see you that day. You’ve helped me through the worst parts of my life and never, ever, judged me. I’m going to miss everything about you — the hugs after our games, wins or losses, the texts and calls to randomly make sure we were doing okay, braiding your hair in the middle of class because you couldn’t believe I knew how to do that, the looks we’d give each other in class and breaking into laughter just because we felt so stupid and funny. Most of all, I’m going to miss being able to look into the stands and always know my number-one supporter is going to be there. I wish I would have done something different so we wouldn’t be here right now. Everyone knows that this is not a representation of who you were or what you were living for. You fought your entire life to play softball in college, and you just made that dream come true. I believe the saying goes, ‘Only the good ones die young,’ and man, does that hurt right now because I know it’s true. If everyone in this world was half as nice and loving as you are, it would be a lot better place. Heaven gained an angel this week, and we will remember you every single day in our hearts and in our minds and our friends. You will be a part of each of our lives in a way we wish never was possible.”

McKim added that he will continue to think about what he should have done differently, what he should have said but didn’t. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me the most,” he said.

IT TAKES A VILLAGE

Linn Principal Michael Fible said educators strive to be good role models for every student.

“It’s always our goal to protect those kids,” he added. “As the old saying goes, ‘It takes a village,’ so this goes to more than just education. It goes to the adults that provide role models, the parents, it goes to everybody. This is so much more than just the people in this room. It affects so much more than just Jessica’s friends and her parents. It affects the entire community. It takes a community to raise a child, a teenager. It’s so much deeper than the consequences of providing alcohol. It hurts so much more than just a fine, or jail time. It’s a lot more than just what’s on paper.”

Fible said the pain runs deeper to Jessica’s friends and the people who are provided alcohol.

“As we continue to raise our children, our teenagers, our students, remember what kind of role model you are as adults,” Fible said. “It’s more than just being a friend. It’s more than just being a parent. You are a role model for our children as they grow, as they learn, as they get into college, become adults, and get married. It’s so much more than just we can provide as educators.”

Linn teacher Jordan Sallin said the number-one job is to prepare students for their future that is bright and full of opportunity. “How we go about preparing you to be adults is to treat you as one and expect you to behave as such,” he added. “We set high standards, and expect you to act like the adults we hope that you can be, and by doing so, we hope we can develop you into successful and mature individuals by the time you walk across that stage and accept your diploma. As teachers, we hope that we have instilled a sense of self-respect and maturity that you can only receive from us. We aren’t your parents and you aren’t our children. Though we love each and every one of you, the fact of the matter is we teach and care differently, and that is important. We can be stern when a parent might need to step back, or we can give a hug when a parent might want to bop you upside the head. However, as we expect you to act like adults, the line between adolescence and adulthood becomes blurred. If I had a dollar for every time I heard a student say they are old enough to do what they want, I’d be able to retire right now.”

That’s a problem Sallin said he hopes to correct. “As much as you want to be an adult right now, the simple fact is, you’re not,” he continued. “I don’t mean that as a slight. It’s just a scientific truth. You’re all bright, and trust me, there are plenty of adults who are less mature than you, but that’s not the problem. The real issue is the physical and emotional harm underage drinking does to the high-schooler’s brain.”

Sallin said the brain doesn’t stop developing until the age of 24. “The continued use of alcohol, especially as a teen, changes your brain chemistry drastically,” he added. “Your grades can suffer and attendance lowers. You could even develop anger issues as well as disrupt your physical and sexual development, but that’s not all. You’re more likely to become physically and sexually abusive, while on the other side of the coin, you’re more like to be physically or sexually abused. As terrible as all that sounds, it does get worse. You’re more likely to commit suicide or murder with the continued use of alcohol as a teen. The decisions you make today can affect more than just tomorrow. They can even affect more than just you, so I ask you this: before you go out and make the decision to drink, think about your future, your friends, your family. Think about how different it might be if you don’t meet your goals. Think about what your friends and family might look like if you’re not there. Today’s decisions determine tomorrow’s outcomes. Choose wisely, be safe, and watch out for each other.”

Miller expressed her appreciation to the LHS safety/bullying professional learning committee team, Linn Fire Protection District, Osage County Sheriff’s Office, Osage County Coroner AJ Probst, Deputy Coroner Bob Goodenough, Millard Family Chapels, Dave’s Pizza & Wings, and R-2 students who helped create the docudrama.