Jode Randall Allen was born in July 1976 in Burley, Idaho to Steven and Marla Allen. He with his parents and four younger sisters on a dairy farm in Rupert, Idaho until he was 8 years old. The Allen family relocated to Provo, Utah where his father persued a degree in accounting at Brigham Young University (BYU). In 1988 the family moved to Pleasant Grove, Utah where Jode attended high school and graduated in 1994.

Jode was accepted with a scholarship to BYU and attended for one year prior to serving a proselyting mission in the Florida Jacksonville Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) from 1995-1997.

Jode returned to BYU in the fall of 1997 where he continued to study in preparation to attend physical therapy school. However, he changed his major to nursing in the summer of 1998. That same summer, he met, was engaged to, and married Deborah Harris. (see "About Us" for more about their whirlwind romance.) After their Marriage on August 14, 1998, Jode completed the prerequisites for and was accepted to the BYU College of Nursing in the fall of 1999.

In December 2001 Jode graduated from the BYU College Of Nursing with a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing. He started working as a nurse on the cardiovascular floor (also known as West 7 or ACCU) at LDS hospital where he had completed his senior project studying nursing care of patients with a mechanical heart device called a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). He enjoyed the unit so much that he decided to stay. He worked under an interim license while he anxiously took and nervously awaited the results of his licensing exam which he passed.

Jode had enjoyed not having to go to school and read and studied things he was interested in. He worked mostly 12 hour night shifts which allows him to be at home often during the day and have relatively long weekends. This gives him time to persue his interests which include: hanging out with the his family, gardening, and toying on the computer. His latest interest is studying up on and preparing to buy a motorcycle (noting his mother's great objection). Although many different bikes interest him, the one that he really wants right now is a 2001 Honda Shadow VLX. He hopes to be riding one some time next year.

Eventually he transfered to the Thoracic ICU at LDS hospital where he had great and challenging experiences caring for open heart surgery and heart failure patients. Ultimately he felt the need to pursue and advanced degree and further his career. This has lead to another job change which has been a great blessing as it has allowed the family to purchase a house in Stansbury Park, UT (near Tooele). Jode is attending the University of Utah College of Nursing in pursuit of a Masters degree in the field of Nursing Informatics. That is the field of nursing that helps design, build and implement computer information systems to assist nursing and other health care providers in the collection and use of information in order to provide better health care. He anticipates graduation in December of 2005.