Donation protected
We have had people ask for other ways to donate, because GOFUNDME takes fees from donations.
Cashapp: $NicholeLydia2
Venmo: @Nichole-Douglas-7
Zelle: Nichole0228 (yahoo)
Paypal: Nichole0228 (yahoo) (Won't let me post email)
What Happened?
Jackson was born July 21, 2019, and it was the best day of our lives! Ever since that day, Jackson and our family have had a rough time with Jackson's medical issues. Luckily, he is generally a healthy boy, with no life-threatening diseases. However, he does have several issues that severely affect his quality of life, and have caused major developmental delays. We have tried our best to get Jackson the best care we possibly can, but it is just starting to be too much financially. Jackson was recently diagnosed with congenital cataracts, and is essentially blind right now. He will need surgery ASAP to give him any hope at living a normal life. We will have to travel to Cleveland, OH (2 hours from our home) regularly for his care, and know the expenses are going to be a major financial burden for us.
Jackson's Medical History
We found out while still in the hospital that Jackson failed his hearing tests. He had to have 4 (very expensive) special hearing tests where they hook electrodes to his head and measure brain waves, one of those he had to be sedated for. He had these tests at 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, and 14 months old. His hearing has gotten gradually better with each test, and it has been determined that he does not need hearing aids at this point, even though he still technically has hearing loss. It is still something that we have to monitor for the rest of his life, and he may need them one day.
At 6 months old, he failed his vision screening, so we were referred to an optometrist. His first visit was at 7 months old, but the doctor just wanted to keep an eye on his vision to see if it improved on its own. At 11 months old, Jackson got his first pair of glasses, and we thought this was going to solve all of his problems! At 18 months old, he went for a regular check up for his glasses at the optometrist. We told them it didn't seem like he was seeing as well, and were absolutely shocked and devastated to find out he had very dense cataracts and is essentially blind at the moment.
Jackson also has several other issues with development. He is very behind on his motor and speech development. He just started crawling, so his pediatrician thinks there may be something going on with his hips, so he has to get an X-ray of them to check. He was referred to neurology, and will have to get an MRI of his brain to rule out tumors or any other issues (he will have to be sedated for this as well). He will have to go through lots of speech/ physical/ occupational/ visual therapy.
Why do we need help?
In February 2020, Nichole lost her amazing job as a licensed registered dental hygienist due to COVID, and we no longer have child care. We had to make the difficult decision for her to be a stay at home mom to our sweet boy. Now, with all of Jackson's special needs, it will be very difficult for her to be able to work while keeping up with regular appointments with several specialists. In October 2020, Eric left a job with great benefits, but no room for growth, and got a new job as an apprentice after graduating from an HVAC program. He had to take a pay cut to begin his journey to his new career. We also lost our good insurance, and have a very limited, high deductible plan now that doesn't start to cover anything until we pay that. After maxing out our credit cards trying to get pregnant through IVF, we had to give up our home, and move in with Nichole's father and grandfather to pay off our debt. We paid off more than half of it, but we are now in over our head in medical debt. We hope to one day be able to live in a home of our own again one day, but our son is our first priority.
What is next?
Jackson has surgery scheduled for March 24, 2021 for his right eye. Surgery for his left eye will be done approximately 1 month after. About 1 month after his second surgery he will be able to order his contacts and glasses. They are going to draw blood while he is under sedation for genetic testing/ other labs to try to figure out why he has the cataracts/ hearing loss. We have an appointment with a neurologist in April where he will order the MRI.
We would like to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for following our journey, praying for us, and donating if you are able to.
Cashapp: $NicholeLydia2
Venmo: @Nichole-Douglas-7
Zelle: Nichole0228 (yahoo)
Paypal: Nichole0228 (yahoo) (Won't let me post email)
What Happened?
Jackson was born July 21, 2019, and it was the best day of our lives! Ever since that day, Jackson and our family have had a rough time with Jackson's medical issues. Luckily, he is generally a healthy boy, with no life-threatening diseases. However, he does have several issues that severely affect his quality of life, and have caused major developmental delays. We have tried our best to get Jackson the best care we possibly can, but it is just starting to be too much financially. Jackson was recently diagnosed with congenital cataracts, and is essentially blind right now. He will need surgery ASAP to give him any hope at living a normal life. We will have to travel to Cleveland, OH (2 hours from our home) regularly for his care, and know the expenses are going to be a major financial burden for us.
Jackson's Medical History
We found out while still in the hospital that Jackson failed his hearing tests. He had to have 4 (very expensive) special hearing tests where they hook electrodes to his head and measure brain waves, one of those he had to be sedated for. He had these tests at 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, and 14 months old. His hearing has gotten gradually better with each test, and it has been determined that he does not need hearing aids at this point, even though he still technically has hearing loss. It is still something that we have to monitor for the rest of his life, and he may need them one day.
At 6 months old, he failed his vision screening, so we were referred to an optometrist. His first visit was at 7 months old, but the doctor just wanted to keep an eye on his vision to see if it improved on its own. At 11 months old, Jackson got his first pair of glasses, and we thought this was going to solve all of his problems! At 18 months old, he went for a regular check up for his glasses at the optometrist. We told them it didn't seem like he was seeing as well, and were absolutely shocked and devastated to find out he had very dense cataracts and is essentially blind at the moment.
Jackson also has several other issues with development. He is very behind on his motor and speech development. He just started crawling, so his pediatrician thinks there may be something going on with his hips, so he has to get an X-ray of them to check. He was referred to neurology, and will have to get an MRI of his brain to rule out tumors or any other issues (he will have to be sedated for this as well). He will have to go through lots of speech/ physical/ occupational/ visual therapy.
Why do we need help?
In February 2020, Nichole lost her amazing job as a licensed registered dental hygienist due to COVID, and we no longer have child care. We had to make the difficult decision for her to be a stay at home mom to our sweet boy. Now, with all of Jackson's special needs, it will be very difficult for her to be able to work while keeping up with regular appointments with several specialists. In October 2020, Eric left a job with great benefits, but no room for growth, and got a new job as an apprentice after graduating from an HVAC program. He had to take a pay cut to begin his journey to his new career. We also lost our good insurance, and have a very limited, high deductible plan now that doesn't start to cover anything until we pay that. After maxing out our credit cards trying to get pregnant through IVF, we had to give up our home, and move in with Nichole's father and grandfather to pay off our debt. We paid off more than half of it, but we are now in over our head in medical debt. We hope to one day be able to live in a home of our own again one day, but our son is our first priority.
What is next?
Jackson has surgery scheduled for March 24, 2021 for his right eye. Surgery for his left eye will be done approximately 1 month after. About 1 month after his second surgery he will be able to order his contacts and glasses. They are going to draw blood while he is under sedation for genetic testing/ other labs to try to figure out why he has the cataracts/ hearing loss. We have an appointment with a neurologist in April where he will order the MRI.
We would like to thank everyone from the bottom of our hearts for following our journey, praying for us, and donating if you are able to.
Organizer
Nichole Douglas
Organizer
Northwood, OH