Please see the updates for the latest on Jay’s Story.. And thank you for reading!

Imagine you can't drink and have a hard time swallowing.

Liquids like formula are difficult and frustrating to swallow because your tongue and lip are tied to the bottom of your mouth.

To understand how this feels, a Pediatric Specialist told our daughter to place the tip of her tongue against the bottom of her teeth. Now, roll your bottom lip over your teeth and try to swallow.

I did this and was totally surprised to see how difficult it was to swallow. I never knew how important the tongue was to swallowing.
Now imagine you are a newborn baby who is very hungry but can't move the formula toward his throat because he can't move his tongue or lip. I am sure you would be as frustrated and confused as Baby Jay is. The cute faces of Jay with him seeming to suck his bottom lip is actually what’s called a lip tie and should not be this the way.

The condition is called "Ankyloglossia" or Tongue and/or Lip tie. It is a condition in which a child’s tongue remains attached to the bottom of his or her mouth. We found that it is not uncommon, but it was certainly new to his parents and grandparents.

There are 4 classes of Ankyloglossia for Tongue and Lip attachment.

Originally, Baby Jay was diagnosed with a Class 2 for tongue and none for lip several weeks ago but our Daughter was not convinced and wanted a second opinion, so she and her husband who is a Navy Corpsman took Baby Jay to a Pediatric Doctor Specializing in this type of situation.

Completely contrary to the previous doctor, the new doctor diagnosed Baby Jay as having a Class 4 tongue and a Class 4 lip tie.
The Doctor told our daughter that her instinct as a mother saved her son from many frustrating feedings and possible health and speech issues in the future.

Unfortunately, Specialists like this are not covered by their current insurance. Baby Jay will need a procedure which costs $1,100 as well as follow up visits.

I am reaching out as his Grandfather to Family and Friends to raise enough money to pay for the procedure and give his parents enough money to cover the cost of follow up office visits, specialized formula and medical prescriptions.

My son-in-law is a Corpsman at a VA Hospital in Chicago. While he is a wonderful husband and father, his salary as an E-4 cannot cover these additional expenses.

My Daughter is going back to work sooner than planned so she can help with Jay's Medical bills, but it won't be enough.  They are very hard working and would want to do this on their own, but they are overwhelmed.

As their father, I am making their need known in the hope that you will consider helping Baby Jay and help him swallow.

If you would like to help, please pray for his recovery and feel free to donate any amount.

Thank you!

A grateful Grand Dad