Sports weren’t just after-school activities for 16-year-old Somonauk, Ill. native Luke Wernsman. They were the foundation for his way of life.
“One percent better every day” was a motto he created and lived by. He believed in it so firmly that he had planned to tattoo it on himself as a daily reminder to strive for excellence in everything he pursued.
A three-sport athlete at Somonauk High School, he was on the junior varsity basketball team and played left field on the baseball team. But he loved soccer most of all, playing right midfielder for the Bobcats and making the varsity squad in his sophomore year—something he also achieved in baseball.
“Luke was always the first one at practice,” his mother Jenny recalls. “He gave everything he did 101 percent every time. That’s where his motto came from.”
Luke didn’t save his effort only for the field. Knowing the demands playing three sports could put on the body, he dedicated himself to a healthy lifestyle by keeping in shape at the local YMCA every morning before school.
Off the field, Luke enjoyed spending time with his family, frequently going on road trips and vacations together. He also loved spending time with his friends and had a knack for storytelling and making people laugh.
“He could be quite a goofball and a prankster. He loved to make people laugh,” says his father, Steve. “But he was also sensitive and cared a lot about other people’s feelings. He was a great friend.”
In the late afternoon on March 20, 2023, Luke was on his way to visit his girlfriend in nearby Hinckley when he was involved in a major traffic accident. Jenny and Steve patiently waited for Luke’s text to let them know he had made it safely to her house.
“Luke was supposed to text us to let us know he was alright,” Jenny remembers. “But we never heard back from him, which was unusual.”
Jenny decided to go on Facebook. What she saw set off alarm bells in her mind.
“I saw there was an accident on Somonauk Road, and that was the road Luke was driving on,” Jenny says. “My heart just sank.”
Jenny and Steve got in their car and headed straight for the site of the accident. That was when they got the terrible news.
“The fire and police were already on the scene, and the roads were closed,” Jenny says. “Then an officer came and told us what happened.”
The Wernsmans then saw the coroner on the scene, and right away they knew their son’s fate.
“We didn’t want to believe it was happening,” Steve recalls. “We just stood there wondering what happens next. The officer told us there was nothing we could do except go back home and break the news to his brother and sister. Everyone was devastated.”
Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network reached out to the Wernsman family that evening to let them know they didn’t have to go through the situation alone. They walked Jenny and Steve through the process and made sure all their questions were answered thoroughly.
His arm tissue was donated and will be used to help with skin grafts for burn victims. His parents are happy and proud their son is still helping people, and encourage others to do the same.
“Losing a child at 16 is devastating,” says Jenny, herself a registered donor. “If donating can take that burden off somebody else and save another life, it’s worthwhile. Plus, Luke was a kind and caring person. This is what he would have wanted.”
Since Luke’s passing, his giving nature lives on. The Wernsmans used proceeds from monetary donations to give back to their community and provide lights for Somonauk High School’s soccer field, recently renamed “Luke Wernsman Community Field.”
Luke’s family also helps his legacy live on through the “Live Like Luke #8” campaign on Instagram, featuring rocks with the phrase “Live Like Luke” placed all over the world by friends and family traveling on vacation. Additionally, they host “Luke’s Lights,” an annual fundraiser featuring food trucks and a 50/50 raffle. Proceeds are used to fund scholarships for local students.
