Little Autumn's Medical Fund
Donation protected
Meet my sister-in-law, Jennie Mladjen and her youngest child, Autumn. Jennie is a widow. When her husband died tragically just over 3 years ago, she was left to raise 3 autistic children by herself. Many of us know (or have family members or friends who know) the challenges of raising a single special needs child. Those challenges are an order of magnitude larger when raising 3 special needs children, without a spouse to share in that burden.
Autumn is 5 years old. She has been in a coma for nearly a week battling a very serious respiratory disease. Autumn, born premature with under-developed lungs, has been in Children’s Hospital Of Philadelphia (CHOP) since Christmas. Incidentally, that is where she and her mom have spent 4 out of the 5 Christmas’ in Autumn’s lifetime. (Just imagine…spending Christmas in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for 4 out 5 straight years).
Jennie is a nurse, a great and compassionate care taker. She has spent her entire adult life assisting others as they face some of the greatest challenges of their lives, and then comes home each day to raise her 3 autistic children. Jennie has endured more hardships in her 40 years than any one person should know in several lifetimes. I have known Jennie for nearly 20 years and I have never heard her complain a single time or known her to spend a single moment feeling sorry for herself. I have never heard her ask for anything. She is as selfless and resilient as she is loving and optimistic.
I don’t claim to know a lot about GoFundMe. But the more I learn, the more it becomes apparent to me that its greatest purpose is to allow generous, loving people the opportunity to help and support people like Jennie Mladjen and her family. Jennie would probably kill me if she knew I was doing this. She has always said, “I am not a charity case. This is my life”. She has never asked for support of any kind from any one. But I don’t view this as charity. I view it as the opportunity to show support and kindness to a person who would do the exact same thing for a stranger in a similar situation. Thank you all so much.
Autumn is 5 years old. She has been in a coma for nearly a week battling a very serious respiratory disease. Autumn, born premature with under-developed lungs, has been in Children’s Hospital Of Philadelphia (CHOP) since Christmas. Incidentally, that is where she and her mom have spent 4 out of the 5 Christmas’ in Autumn’s lifetime. (Just imagine…spending Christmas in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for 4 out 5 straight years).
Jennie is a nurse, a great and compassionate care taker. She has spent her entire adult life assisting others as they face some of the greatest challenges of their lives, and then comes home each day to raise her 3 autistic children. Jennie has endured more hardships in her 40 years than any one person should know in several lifetimes. I have known Jennie for nearly 20 years and I have never heard her complain a single time or known her to spend a single moment feeling sorry for herself. I have never heard her ask for anything. She is as selfless and resilient as she is loving and optimistic.
I don’t claim to know a lot about GoFundMe. But the more I learn, the more it becomes apparent to me that its greatest purpose is to allow generous, loving people the opportunity to help and support people like Jennie Mladjen and her family. Jennie would probably kill me if she knew I was doing this. She has always said, “I am not a charity case. This is my life”. She has never asked for support of any kind from any one. But I don’t view this as charity. I view it as the opportunity to show support and kindness to a person who would do the exact same thing for a stranger in a similar situation. Thank you all so much.
Organizer and beneficiary
Jen Jakubowicz
Organizer
Fairless Hills, PA
Jennifer Mladjen
Beneficiary
