Support Candice's & Jo ‘s Medical Journey

To all my families and friends:

My dear husband Jesus and I have been walking through a storm that seems to never end. Since 2019, we’ve been facing overwhelming challenges with courage and grace. Our daughter, Candace, suffered a medical emergency that left her in a coma and intubated. Though she survived, she was left with serious long-term health complications. Month after month, Sally travels to San Antonio for several days at a time so Candace can receive her vital treatments and infusions — just to keep her condition from progressing.

Eight long, hard fought years, of battling this monster in her body. Unexplained falls, paralysis, aphasia, seizures and doctors with no knowledge of the root cause. Eight years ago is when we finally had a name for this monster. The monster snuck in and silently began its attack to destroy her brain many years prior. Autoimmune encephalitis shows no compassion for a single mother who has fought tirelessly through the years. A mother who endured the most traumatic event in her life, resulting in a divorce while expecting her third child. It remains indifferent to her struggles, including facing the world deaf and advocating for her right to be integrated into mainstream education. It disregards her years of bullying for being the only deaf student in her class, subjected to harassment by peers determined to break her spirit. AE persists in its relentless attempts to devastate her brain, causing additional harm not only to her brain but her entire body. She has undergone numerous medical procedures, including a tracheotomy, stomach peg, and implant replacements. AE has led to countless falls, resulting in a broken ankle, elbow, and recently, broken ribs. Hospital visits are strenuous, with repeated pokes for treatments, bloodwork, and exams. I'm exhausted is not an option; I don't know the meaning of the word. I'm struggling to find words to describe her ordeal. Life has been unkind to her. I regret not advocating for her earlier in this fight.

Now, we’ve received heartbreaking news: Candace has been referred to palliative care. As parents, there are no words to describe the pain of hearing that your child’s condition has reached this stage. And just as we are trying to hold ourselves together, our son is now hospitalized and intubated. He is fighting for his life, suspected of suffering the same illness as his sister and we are all praying for him.

My husband and I are doing everything we can to stay strong, but the weight we are carrying is beyond what any family should have to bear. We also have another daughter and a grandson who depend on our love and strength every single day. And through it all, We are helping care for two young granddaughters who still need our constant presence and support.

I am a deeply devoted mother, wife, and grandmother. Jesus is my rock, standing faithfully by my side. But even the strongest people need help.

Right now, we need support — in any and every form. If you can give financially, please consider donating to their

If you can offer emotional support, send a kind message, reach out, or keep us in your prayers. Even just showing up and letting us know we are not alone means more than words can say.

We are doing everything we can to hold our family together through heartbreak after heartbreak. Let’s come together and help lift us up in this time of unimaginable need.

From the bottom of our hearts — thank you for any love, prayers, or help you can offer.

❤️