CONGENITAL HEART DEFECTS

WHY DO WE DONATE TO CHD's? Because we are 1 in 100.

SHOP CLOTHING THAT GIVES

Jordan, a founding member of The Wanderheart Project (now Life Unplugged), and his wife, Danielle, had their son Sawyer on June 4th, 2013. Sawyer was born with a congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS), meaning the whole left side of his heart did not develop. Their family spent six weeks at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, MI, where Sawyer was born, had open heart surgery, and spent time recovering and healing. Unfortunately, Sawyer passed away at about 10 weeks of age.

Jordan and Danielle were extremely fortunate to have an immense support system of family and friends around them, as well as jobs that allowed them both to move into the hospital and pour their entire lives into Sawyer for that period of time. During their time at the hospital, they met several families whose circumstances were even more challenging due to the stressors of every day life; missed income, split families, bills piling up, travel and lodging costs from being displaced from their homes, etc.

Wanting to turn a challenging situation into good, Jordan and Danielle dreamt of creating a charity to support other families going through similar journeys with HLHS and other CHD's. While Sawyer was with them, their other children, Annika and Noah, loved to sing “This Little Light of Mine” to Sawyer. This inspired the family to name the charity “Sawyer's Light" to carry the same message of hope, strength, and love that Sawyer brought to all of us in his short time on Earth.

The goal of Sawyer's Light is to provide support and encouragement to families going through the incredibly challenging experience of helping a child heal. We are now taking this charity a step further by making Sawyer's Light an official non-profit entity, where we will carry the message of hope, strength, and love across the country!

SHOP CLOTHING THAT GIVES

IN LOVING MEMORY OF

SAWYER MATTHEW BRUURSEMA

It started with

A student, A professor, and A heart for change.

Told by co-founder, Dylan Banagis
In 2012 at Central Michigan University, I sat in a Recreation 110 class when a guest speaker rolled through the door on a single speed bicycle wearing a rock climbing helmet, PFD, and an 80-liter backpack. That professor was Jordan Bruursema. And something about the way Jordan moved through life — the zest, the joy, the genuine care for people — made me want more of that for myself.

I started showing up to Jordan's office hours. As time went on, we both realized we shared the same heart — for Jesus, for people, and for helping others.

We were also both watching the same massive problem unfold right in front of us. Jordan was seeing it in his classroom — students who used to walk in on the first day and get to know each other were now just staring at their phones. I was watching it at Young Life camp — where high schoolers would come completely alive the moment their phones were taken away for the week.

Two simple guys. One massive problem. No current solution.

just like that

LIFE UNPLUGGED WAS BORN.

With no experience and a Bible verse as motivation (John 10:10), we started a t-shirt company. What we didn't know was how big that t-shirt company would become.

What began with a couple of designs and a makeshift website turned into selling at farmers markets out of Jordan's minivan. That minivan turned into a trailer. The trailer turned into a bus. By the time COVID-19 hit, we were going to hunting and fishing shows every single weekend. I had met Kara, my now wife, and the business was gaining serious traction.

Instead of slowing down during COVID, we chose to double down. Kara and I got married, bought a house, and moved the entire operation into our basement. For four years we slid deliveries down the stairs, employed over 20 college students, and blew way too many fuses.

In 2024, the business had outgrown the house and it was time to move operations to where we are now — a massive (and old) renovated bank in downtown Mount Pleasant, MI where we house all manufacturing and retail business.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." -John 10:10

CHOOSING WHERE TO

GIVE BACK WAS EASY.

When it came time to decide where to give back, it wasn't even a conversation. Jordan and his wife Danielle had already been through the hardest thing a parent can face — the loss of their son, Sawyer. Sawyer was born with a congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, where the left side of his heart wouldn't work properly. He was here for 10 weeks before he went to be with Jesus. Congenital heart defects are birth defects that affect 1 in every 100 kids and are the leading cause of infant death in the United States. Most people have never even heard of them.

To honor Sawyer and spread awareness for other Heart Warriors, 11% of our net profits are donated to families of children born with a congenital heart defect. The funds go toward the basics — rent, groceries, gas — the real costs that don't stop just because your child is fighting for their life in a hospital bed.

To date, we have served over 100,000 orders and donated over $100,000 to charity.

Same goal

NO LIMITs

The mission stays the same:

To encourage others to unplug from technology, be present with one another, and give back to families of a child born with a CHD.

As far as we know, not everyone knows about CHDs, and not everyone has Life Unplugged gear. So until then, we keep going.

Our hope is to reach the tired mom, the hopeless teenager, and the mentally exhausted employee. The world will tell you that when you're not on your phone, you're missing out. But guess what? They're wrong. It's actually the other way around.

We're not asking you to toss your phone out the window. Just be intentional. Know when to use it; know when to put it down. You were made to live in the moment and enjoy the little things in life. Don't get to the end of yours and wish you would have done it now.