Katelynn Ordone is navigating the unimaginable.
Six days after losing her 2-year-old son Preston Ordone, known on TikTok as the “Okay Baby,” in a single-vehicle car accident, Katelynn is speaking out.
“I wanted to try to come on here and give y’all an update, because I have been hearing about all the love and the support that y’all have been giving,” she said in the April 30 video shared to Instagram, “and it means so much to us in a time like this.”
Katelynn went on to share that while she had been discharged from the hospital one day earlier, her husband Jaelan Ordone remained checked in. She noted she and her daughter, 7-year-old Paisley Ordone, were staying in a nearby Airbnb to be able to visit with him.
“I think we all are trying—none of us really understand why or how this could happen,” she continued. “But y’all support has made a big difference in a lot of this.”
She added, growing emotional, “I may not be able to watch everything, I may not be able to reply to every comment, because it’s really hard for me to look at it. I’m still seeing some things and hearing how much y’all love him, and it means a lot.”
Katelynn admitted it was difficult to put her thoughts together for the video. As she explained in her caption, “I really wanted everyone to know I truly appreciate the support during this incredibly difficult time.”
Katelynn’s message comes less than a week after the couple’s loved one’s confirmed Preston’s passing and shared information on Katelynn and Jaelan’s injuries following the April 24 accident.
“Katelynn has multiple broken bones,” Melanie Matranga said. “She had a very bad concussion. She walked for the first time today. Jaelan had to have emergency surgery on one of his legs. He has rods in them, pins in them. They’re both at different hospitals. Preston was removed from the vehicle and brought to the hospital. They tried everything that they could.”
Melanie and her husband Carson Matranga also took a moment to reflect on the impact Preston had made on the world in his two years, captivating audiences on social media with his reflexive “OK” to his parents before disregarding whatever it was they’d asked him.
In one such video, Katelynn asked Preston to be careful jumping into puddles—which he acknowledged with his signature “OK”—before including a montage that showed the toddler leaping and tripping haphazardly into the muddy ground.
“He made people smile, laugh, I know you guys look forward to seeing him every day,” Carson said. “I know in heaven right now, if there’s mud in heaven, he probably has found it and is jumping and dancing in it. Running up and down the streets of gold. And his overalls. He probably has golden overalls. We’re going to miss him a lot.”
For a look back at some of Preston’s sweetest moments with his family, keep reading.
Katelynn Ordone and Jaelan Ordone Welcome Baby Preston
The couple, who are parents to daughter Paisley Ordone, welcomed their son Preston on Dec. 27, 2022.
“We are so excited to take him home,” Katelynn wrote on Facebook at the time. “Thank you everyone for y’all’s prayers.”
Ready for Easter
The Ordone family celebrated Easter 2025 with a lot of sweets, a day at church and some time in the pool. Katelyn simply captioned the post, “Happy Easter.”
Sweetest Sibling Duo
Paisley, now 7, has loved having a little brother by her side. While reflecting on Preston’s adventurous nature, Katelynn revealed that it was seemingly passed on from his big sister.
“My daughter was just as feral at his age,” the mom of 2 quipped on Instagram March 8. “That’s why they’re 5 years apart but she became a little less feral with age.”
Preston Makes a Splash as “Okay Baby”
In an August 2024 TikTok video, Katelynn gave directions to Preston, telling him, “Give Lovie one minute, OK?” After telling his mom, “OK,” the toddler immediately jumped into the pool.
“It’s the ‘OK’ for me every time and he STILL jumps,” one user commented. Katelynn agreed that Preston hasn’t quite grasped the phrase, captioning the video, “We’re still trying to figure out what okay means to him.”
Roughhousing in the Dirt
Preston loved the pool, but he loved mud even more. For hours, he’d splash in muddy puddles outside their home.
As Katelynn and Jaelan’s loved one Carson Matranga explained in their April 27 announcement of his unexpected death, “I know in heaven right now, if there’s mud in heaven, he probably has found it and is jumping and dancing in it.”
A Star in the Making
Katelynn would sometimes share “Preston Interviews” on social media, quizzing him on his food and asking questions about himself.
His favorite song? “Baby” by Justin Bieber, which he went on to sing.
Thoughts on the Grinch? He explained, “He’s a mean one, Mr. Grinch. I wanna punch the Grinch ’cause he’s scary.”
