Join Jessica's Journey
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I usually can sit down and write the words to express myself easily. But as I sit here tonight, the words I need are so hard to find…probably because they make me face a reality that causes me so much pain to even think about.
My cousin, Jessica needs a lot of help. If you know Jessica then you know that the words “HELP ME” are not a part of her vocabulary. So, I am asking for her. I am asking for a miracle. I am asking for prayers. I am asking for financial to help with some of their medical expenses and care - which hopefully includes a lung transplant. And for help with all of the costly and numerous expenses that will be needed if she does not win this battle that she has been fighting so hard to win. Help with the costs for raising two boys who both fall on the autism spectrum who will have special needs that will be expensive. Help to pay all of medical bills that are quickly get larger and larger. Help that will allow Jessica to feel at peace so that she spend her time here focusing on making every moment count with her loved ones instead of worrying as much as she is right now. I am asking for support in whatever form that may come in. Help for a strong woman, a proud wife, a loving mom, a caring daughter, a faithful friend, a protective sister, an awesome cousin and one of the strongest, bravest people I know.
I feel compelled to share a part of Jessica’s story with you. Because sharing her story is just me telling you a little bit about one of my favorite heroes.
My amazing cousin, Jessica, is fighting for her life. Jessica suffers from a rare primary immune disease that made it easier for her to get severe lung infections. She has had this disease her whole life. But over the last two years it has become more and more severe…more intense. It has been attacking her body harder and stronger than it ever has. She has been in and out of hospitals regularly for years now. In the past she would be in the hospital for a few days. Then slowly the days became a week. Then a week would become a few weeks. Then it was a month. She is currently at Cedars Sinai and has been hospitalized for the last two months.
And now her only chance of survival, which is still extremely dangerous, is to undergo a lung transplant. Without a lung transplant she will eventually bleed out. It could happen a day from now or months from now…it is just a matter of time. And despite the risk that comes with a lung transplant, Jessica is still willing to give everything she has. Her case was presented to hospitals across the nation. And they found one hospital in Pittsburgh that was willing to take on Jessica’s lung transplant. It would require Jessica to have to be transported from California to Pittsburgh to have the surgery. And then once the surgery is completed she would have to stay in Pittsburgh for an entire year with a required family member beside her at all times. And we were hopeful. We had finally found a way to save her life. But we sadly found out just a few days ago that it will take a financial miracle to make this surgery happen. Insurance has denied coverage for her life saving procedure. And if she has the surgery she will have to pay for it herself. So, in true Jessica fashion…we try. We try to make a miracle happen. That is why I am writing this here now. It’s called hope. It’s called fight. And that’s what Jessica is all about.
We grew up in a fairly large family. I have a lot of pretty awesome cousin’s that I was blessed enough to grow up with. All the cousins were lucky, all healthy - I don’t even think that any of us ever even had a broken bone. But Jess, as adorably shy as she was…or how beautiful her big brown eyes were…or when you got one of her cute little smiles and one of her deep true laughs – it would just melt your heart. And even though she was so many wonderful things...she wasn’t as lucky as the rest of us. I remember as a child always going to see her in the hospital with her lungs under attack one way or another. Her breathing treatments, the deep and painful cough she has had her entire life, her limitations, her frustrations about always being sick, all the medications – it seemed endless. And honestly it has been. She has always just had endless illness and pain. She has always had to fight this disease…she has always had to be brave...she has always had to hurt.
But she is a fighter…the definition of strength. She has never given up…even now when so many would. I should mention at this point that Jessica has faced challenges and loss that we pray we never have to face in our own lives. Tragedy that is so personal that Jessica asked me to keep that part of their lives private. But even in those darkest days…she kept fighting. She kept trying. She kept knocking down her walls and carried on. She carried on with grace, with faith, with love and with determination.
As the years passed Jessica continued her fight. She met a cute boy named Jorge. Jorge, a Marine, who served our country after 9/11 happened. Kind, gentle and with a heart so good and so big and so giving that she quickly feel in love with her Jorge. They happily started their life together. They started their little family with sweet Abigail, then gentle Sean and finally their cute and wild Jayden. When Sean was young they discovered that Sean was autistic. And as their youngest son, Jayden became older it was discovered that he was also on the autism spectrum. Jessica and Jorge showed their strength again. They educated themselves on the best way to help their boys. They got them the help they needed early on. But most importantly they loved their boys with everything they have, they never have made the feel different and their boys have flourished for it!
Jessica’s biggest concerns have always been with her children and her husband. With all of the big moments she has already had to miss in her children’s lives because of her illness and extended hospital stays and how she just wants to be there for all of their next big moments. She worries about who will help Jorge with the all the extra responsibilities that come with raising not just two boys and a household – but two boys who are both on the autism spectrum. Jorge is a hard worker and has always been able to provide for his family so that Jessica was able to stay home and give her kids all the attention and love that they needed. The idea of not being there to help Jorge and to not physically be there beside them…it is a type of sadness and fear that words cannot describe correctly. She worries beyond measure about the sadness that her loved ones will face.
So, she needs help. She needs prayer and positive thoughts. She needs hope. But more importantly she needs a way to survive. She needs to have her lung transplant. She needs financial support for the long battle in front of her. She needs a way for Jorge to get her boys therapy and support if she cannot survive this battle. She needs a way to know that everything will be easier than it is right now. She needs a financial miracle and we are asking for your help, your kindness and your empathy.
And now this novel will finally come to a close. And I thank you for listening. And I thank you for your support.
Funds are needed to help support the family in the day to day, help with expenses related to transplant that are not covered by insurance, and to ensure her family is provided for no matter what happens. Please Join Jessica's Journey.
My cousin, Jessica needs a lot of help. If you know Jessica then you know that the words “HELP ME” are not a part of her vocabulary. So, I am asking for her. I am asking for a miracle. I am asking for prayers. I am asking for financial to help with some of their medical expenses and care - which hopefully includes a lung transplant. And for help with all of the costly and numerous expenses that will be needed if she does not win this battle that she has been fighting so hard to win. Help with the costs for raising two boys who both fall on the autism spectrum who will have special needs that will be expensive. Help to pay all of medical bills that are quickly get larger and larger. Help that will allow Jessica to feel at peace so that she spend her time here focusing on making every moment count with her loved ones instead of worrying as much as she is right now. I am asking for support in whatever form that may come in. Help for a strong woman, a proud wife, a loving mom, a caring daughter, a faithful friend, a protective sister, an awesome cousin and one of the strongest, bravest people I know.
I feel compelled to share a part of Jessica’s story with you. Because sharing her story is just me telling you a little bit about one of my favorite heroes.
My amazing cousin, Jessica, is fighting for her life. Jessica suffers from a rare primary immune disease that made it easier for her to get severe lung infections. She has had this disease her whole life. But over the last two years it has become more and more severe…more intense. It has been attacking her body harder and stronger than it ever has. She has been in and out of hospitals regularly for years now. In the past she would be in the hospital for a few days. Then slowly the days became a week. Then a week would become a few weeks. Then it was a month. She is currently at Cedars Sinai and has been hospitalized for the last two months.
And now her only chance of survival, which is still extremely dangerous, is to undergo a lung transplant. Without a lung transplant she will eventually bleed out. It could happen a day from now or months from now…it is just a matter of time. And despite the risk that comes with a lung transplant, Jessica is still willing to give everything she has. Her case was presented to hospitals across the nation. And they found one hospital in Pittsburgh that was willing to take on Jessica’s lung transplant. It would require Jessica to have to be transported from California to Pittsburgh to have the surgery. And then once the surgery is completed she would have to stay in Pittsburgh for an entire year with a required family member beside her at all times. And we were hopeful. We had finally found a way to save her life. But we sadly found out just a few days ago that it will take a financial miracle to make this surgery happen. Insurance has denied coverage for her life saving procedure. And if she has the surgery she will have to pay for it herself. So, in true Jessica fashion…we try. We try to make a miracle happen. That is why I am writing this here now. It’s called hope. It’s called fight. And that’s what Jessica is all about.
We grew up in a fairly large family. I have a lot of pretty awesome cousin’s that I was blessed enough to grow up with. All the cousins were lucky, all healthy - I don’t even think that any of us ever even had a broken bone. But Jess, as adorably shy as she was…or how beautiful her big brown eyes were…or when you got one of her cute little smiles and one of her deep true laughs – it would just melt your heart. And even though she was so many wonderful things...she wasn’t as lucky as the rest of us. I remember as a child always going to see her in the hospital with her lungs under attack one way or another. Her breathing treatments, the deep and painful cough she has had her entire life, her limitations, her frustrations about always being sick, all the medications – it seemed endless. And honestly it has been. She has always just had endless illness and pain. She has always had to fight this disease…she has always had to be brave...she has always had to hurt.
But she is a fighter…the definition of strength. She has never given up…even now when so many would. I should mention at this point that Jessica has faced challenges and loss that we pray we never have to face in our own lives. Tragedy that is so personal that Jessica asked me to keep that part of their lives private. But even in those darkest days…she kept fighting. She kept trying. She kept knocking down her walls and carried on. She carried on with grace, with faith, with love and with determination.
As the years passed Jessica continued her fight. She met a cute boy named Jorge. Jorge, a Marine, who served our country after 9/11 happened. Kind, gentle and with a heart so good and so big and so giving that she quickly feel in love with her Jorge. They happily started their life together. They started their little family with sweet Abigail, then gentle Sean and finally their cute and wild Jayden. When Sean was young they discovered that Sean was autistic. And as their youngest son, Jayden became older it was discovered that he was also on the autism spectrum. Jessica and Jorge showed their strength again. They educated themselves on the best way to help their boys. They got them the help they needed early on. But most importantly they loved their boys with everything they have, they never have made the feel different and their boys have flourished for it!
Jessica’s biggest concerns have always been with her children and her husband. With all of the big moments she has already had to miss in her children’s lives because of her illness and extended hospital stays and how she just wants to be there for all of their next big moments. She worries about who will help Jorge with the all the extra responsibilities that come with raising not just two boys and a household – but two boys who are both on the autism spectrum. Jorge is a hard worker and has always been able to provide for his family so that Jessica was able to stay home and give her kids all the attention and love that they needed. The idea of not being there to help Jorge and to not physically be there beside them…it is a type of sadness and fear that words cannot describe correctly. She worries beyond measure about the sadness that her loved ones will face.
So, she needs help. She needs prayer and positive thoughts. She needs hope. But more importantly she needs a way to survive. She needs to have her lung transplant. She needs financial support for the long battle in front of her. She needs a way for Jorge to get her boys therapy and support if she cannot survive this battle. She needs a way to know that everything will be easier than it is right now. She needs a financial miracle and we are asking for your help, your kindness and your empathy.
And now this novel will finally come to a close. And I thank you for listening. And I thank you for your support.
Funds are needed to help support the family in the day to day, help with expenses related to transplant that are not covered by insurance, and to ensure her family is provided for no matter what happens. Please Join Jessica's Journey.
Organizer
Jessica Noel
Organizer
Port Hueneme, CA