Ridj Parantala Scholarship,Funeral & Medical Costs

December 29:

I hope you all had a blessed holiday with your loved ones - and hugged them just a little extra tight. Ridj's family has asked me to update the GoFundMe goal to $25,000 because they would love to start a Scholarship in Ridj's name! This family continues to give selflessly in their time of extreme grief and hardship. Let's see if we can get them to their goal so Ridj can continue to help all those who need it!

Thank you!

December 21:

Ridj Parantala Obituary

Ridj R. Parantala, the man, the myth, the legend, 20 of rural Bovey, MN, died on Monday, December 18, 2023, in St. Mary’s Essentia Hospital in Duluth.

Born on December 4, 2003, in Grand Rapids, MN, he was the son of Dan and Jill (Tanberg) Parantala. Ridj was very passionate about life, doing everything he wanted to do. He grew up in the Lawerence Lake area and graduated from Greenway High School. He was a woodland firefighter stationed in Bismarck. He fought fires in Minnesota, Idaho, Washington and Montana. He loved camping with the boys, their annual fishing and hunting adventures. He enjoyed being with his fire buddies and seeing the country, wildlife. Whatever season it was, he participated in hunting, trapping and fishing. Ridj loved playing video games, especially farming simulators and making hay. He was passionate about music and loved going to concerts with family and friends. Ridj was always helping others and would give you the shirt off his back (unless it was his Clam sweatshirt).

Survivors include his parents; Dan and Jill Parantala, his siblings; Riley (Scott) Reiser, Joby (Jaycie) Parantala, Joss Parantala and Feather Parantala, his nephews; Jordie & ‘Elmer’ Reiser, his Grandmother Jean Grobove, his uncle; Gordon (Terri) Brest, aunts; Cindi Burgess and Heidi (Brian Bybee) Tanberg. His cousin Jacque Lacy, Jessica (Casey Hageman) Plackner, Alex Plackner and many other cousins. His dear friends “the boys”, who never left his side; Joss Parantala, Reed and Luc Saxhaug and Ben and Alex Plackner. And who could forget his mentee Brian Christie and his beloved, kind, sweet, angelic Mr. Mau.

He was preceded in death by his grandma Sharon Parantala and Grandpa’s Richard Grobove and Rollie Tanberg.

The family would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and on-going support.

There will be a gathering of family and friends from 12:00-2:00 PM, Tuesday, January 2, 2024, in the Peterson Funeral Chapel in Coleraine. Following the service, the family asks you to join them on a procession up to the Bluntach Sawmill and then back to the Lawrence Lake Liquor for a celebration of life. We hope you all will join us in sharing stories.

December 19:

Recipient info:

Ridj Parantala saved the following in death….

His liver - saved the life of a 55 year old man

Ridj’s right kidney was placed with a 31 year old male

His left kidney and pancreas saved the life of a 47 year old male.

Corneas were recovered to give up to 2 people the gift of sight.

Dozens of people may have healing with the gifts of tissue, which includes heart valves and veins.

Update from Jill:

December 18th: My son is now flying high with the Angels. For sure we know someone is getting the gift of life from his liver kidneys & pancreas so far. Not to mention whomever gets tissue & bone! My son can now add Hero to his resume of life! I’m so proud of the life he lived. Rest easy buddy, you deserve it. Love Jillian.

December 17:

I received this text from Jill with an update:

Bad day today, Ridj was pronounced brain dead this morning and went down hill after that. We will be having an honor walk later today for our Hero. Time is unsure all depending on finding organ recipients & surgeons. If you want to come, wear camo and feel free to to make a sign. Please please share the Gofund Me page! And always Ty for all messages of support and offers to help.

December 16:

Dan shared a very special FB page with me today; Olympic National Park in Port Angeles, Washington. The last fire Ridj fought was in this beautiful place! True to his outdoorsman fashion, Ridj absolutely loved this park. I imagine he is now in a place just this beautiful.

Late Friday Dec 15th from Jill's FB page: Silly me, I thought Ridj and I would be out of here by now and somewhere playing poker! Looks like we will be here a while before we can remove him from life support since we are donating his organs. Since he had the seizure they have to test his lungs & heart to see if they are viable to be donated. Then there is a whole process to this, we may have to be transferred to Mayo for this to happen. Anyhow my point is, I’m going to have to sit in this hospital room and watch my beautiful 20 year old son wither away and listen as people tell stories of when he was still full of life! I’m so MAD!!!! Well there is a few words I would like to put in front of that! I would like to thank everyone again for reaching out to me and the family, it mean so much to us! The Gofundme is blowing our mind away! Ridj must have touched a lot of people. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts Ridj & the Parantala’s

Update: 8:15a - December 15

Jill & Dan have made the impossible decision to remove life support, but only after Ridj has provided yet another selfless act, which is to fulfill his wish of being an organ donor. The organ donation process can take a couple of days while they line up the recipients of his amazing gift.

Ridj's family is receiving so many beautiful messages about their brother, son, grandson and the impact he had on all of our lives. If you have such a story, please feel free to post it here, reach out to the family, or myself to share.

Please hold this family up in your prayers this holiday season.

Update 8:30p - December 14

From Jill's FB page:

'We have to make the hard decision to take our sweet sweet boy off life support and fly to the angles. He will be kept on for a day or two more waiting for friends and relatives to come say their goodbyes first. I cannot believe I am writing these words. I am broken."

Please continue to hold this family up in prayer. Ridj, you will be so desperately missed.

Hello! My name is Christi Mann. The Parantala Family and I are cousins. I am putting together this GoFundMe as they need our help right now with regards to Ridj's rising medical costs.

On Tuesday, December 12, Ridj had a seizure at the Itasca County Courthouse in Grand Rapids, MN. Ridj does hold a diagnosis of epilepsy, but has been seizure-free for years. After the seizure, CPR had to be administered. It is believed that he was in cardiac-arrest for up to 20 minutes before the EMS personnel were able to shock him back. He was transported via ambulance to Essentia Health in Duluth, MN. He continues to be in a medically-induced coma so his brain can rest and heal. We are pending CTs and MRIs to gain more information on any damage that may have occurred between the seizure, the fall and the extended amount of time without oxygen.

Ridj loves being outdoors, especially working in the woods, fishing and hunting. Ridj spent the spring, summer and fall of 2023 in Bismarck, ND training to become a Woodland Firefighter. He is an amazing man with a heart of pure gold. He loves and cares deeply for his siblings, parents, grandmother, nephew, his entire extended family, all of his friends and his entire community. His selfless act of becoming a firefighter is proof of how deeply he cares for the people in his life and his surroundings.

His family has been with him nonstop since his seizure and therefore, could use our help. There will be an extended amount of time out of work for his family while they sit with him, pray for him and care for him (and each other). His medical expenses are compounding by the minute. Please find it in your heart to donate, if you can, to a man and his family in their greatest time of need.