Aid the Zee Family in Medical Crisis Relief

I am Erica Zee, Jason's wife. Jason and I never ask for help. We, almost to a fault, always try to handle things on our own. However, I fear that we are at a point now of asking for the help of our friends and family due to a medical crisis that has come upon our little family.

The weekend prior to Thanksgiving, Jason developed swelling and pain in his left knee. The pain became so intense, he ended up at the ER, where he was told he was having an arthritis flare up. Despite efforts to rest, ice, elevate, and compress his knee, he received no relief, even with pain medications prescribed by the ER doctor. He set up an appointment with an orthopedic doctor who, during an office visit, withdrew about 60ml of fluid and set it for cultures. Shortly after the preliminary results came up, the surgeon called Jason directly. He had septic arthritis. His knee was infected with a rare bacteria, Methicillin Sensitive Staphylococcus Aureus (MSSA). The surgeon wanted Jason in surgery immediately to make sure no further damage was done to his knee. I dropped Jason off at Novant Health Huntersville Medical Center on December 5 and I have not been able to see him since.

We recently moved to the Charlotte, NC area from Florida. We don't have anyone we know locally available to help with the kids. Jason was initially supposed to be released, Monday Dec 9th. However, Saturday morning, Dec 7th, he developed bilateral upper extremity weakness and was having trouble lifting his head off his pillow. On Monday, one of the doctor from Infectious Disease finally became concerned. She consulted Neurology and started the process of testing for a cause. Jason has had multiple MRIs and even a Lumbar Puncture ("spinal tap") to try and rule out an atypical presentation of Gullian Barre' as well as other auto immune and inflammatory disorders. Gullian Barre', which they are still in the process of ruling out, is a virus that can cause progressive neurological damage. It is dangerous not only because of the residual damage that can occur but also because it can progress to a point of paralysis of the diaphragm. They have been running a variety of tests, cultures, studies and still have not found a definitive prognosis. He started a trial of IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulin) therapy yesterday.

Even without his neurological complication, he is being recommended for two weeks in a rehabilitation center as well as 6 weeks on IV antibiotics just for his original septic knee diagnosis. Jason is the sole bread winner for our family since we moved. He will be required to go on short term disability while he is in rehab and receiving antibiotics. However, we still have not seen any improvements in his upper body and neck strength so far so there is no telling when he will actually be discharged to rehab.

We are usually the type of people who push through these type of problems and handle them alone. Moving to North Carolina took a hit on our savings. Our plan was for me to start working again after the holidays so I could help the kids transition to such a big move. With Jason's current condition, now it is unknown when Jason will be able to watch the kids again so I can return to work. We are praying everyday that he will make a full recovery but that is still an unknown as well. When we tell people what's happening, we have received a lot of "how can I help" responses. That is where the idea to start the GoFundMe page came from. We have never required such long term medical care before with so many tests, procedures, and surgeries. I am honestly terrified to see what our medical bills will come out to. If you could please just donate even just a few dollars to help our family pay down the medical bills from this crisis, we would be so incredibly thankful for your generosity and support. We would never ask for any monetary contributions if we weren't on the brink of desperation. Truly, any amount you can donate would help.

We hope you all have a beautiful holiday season with your family and remember to cherish the time you have together. God Bless and Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays to you all ❤️❤️❤️