Hello everyone, this is Jen.

On March 18, my husband Brad was life-flighted to the hospital for emergency heart surgery for an aortic tear. We all deeply appreciate everyone’s prayers, support, and multiple offers of help. This all helps ease the moderate terror of having our husband, or son, or father, or brother, undergo this extreme medical situation.

The surgery went well, and as of today (3/21/26) there have been small bits of progress. I am hopeful that Brad will continue to rebound from what is a serious procedure and come home asap. However as with any surgery as serious as this, there are dozens of ripple effects for both him specifically and also myself and our children.

No one - literally no one - likes to ever be in a position of asking for help of any kind, let alone financial.

However, the brutal ripple effects of this very unexpected situation will include facing medical bills that started with the cost of an ambulance transport and then the helicopter flight, and will continue throughout Brad’s hospital stay, discharge, and time off of work. Physical recovery from serious heart surgery takes months. At this time I am as hopeful as I can be, but have no idea what Brad’s future work life looks like. He has been the primary income for many years as well as our family’s source of health insurance. I also (Jennifer) am managing my own chronic, progressive diagnosis as well as being our daughter’s primary caregiver and keeping her life as stable as possible in the midst of all of this.

We are facing very serious situations and unwanted but necessary life adjustments.

I am asking for your help. If you are able to donate, know that if nothing else, you are providing Brad and me with the peace of mind of knowing that our family’s financial stresses are at least somewhat covered while I keep life going at home and Brad works on recovery. In these situations the spouse and family can often be at least partly assisted by knowing that paying the bills that keep their day to day lives going, are covered a bit in the short term.

Again we greatly appreciate everyone’s love, prayers, and support, and donations here. I will provide updates here as I am able.