A few months ago, our happy, dancing 4-year-old boy, Jethro, suffered a horrific accident. A pot of boiling water spilled on him, and a frantic phone call sent me racing three hours to the hospital. Not knowing the extent of the injury, I called my boss to say I would be late the next morning. But when I saw my son, my heart shattered.

With second-degree burns on his left leg and right ankle, he was in so much pain. After a few nights of observation and having his burns scrubbed, the doctors discharged us with a follow-up appointment at Shriners Burn Hospital in Boston.

We stopped at Shriners on our way home, thinking it would be a quick visit. But the moment the doctors unwrapped Jet’s bandages, the mood shifted. They immediately realized the burns were more severe than originally diagnosed—now third-degree on both legs. My heart sank all over again, and I knew our journey was far from over.

We were admitted for a longer stay, and I called my boss to let them know I didn't know when I would be back. My son was now a patient in a world full of pain and medical procedures, and I wasn't going to leave him alone. Over the next month and a half, Jet endured four skin graft surgeries. Every day was a cycle of being poked, prodded, and having his bandages changed. Shriners Hospital was incredible, and the staff was amazing, but nothing could prepare us for the challenge of helping a 4-year-old understand that all this pain was meant to make him better.

Honestly, the whole experience has shown me what a warrior Jet is and how emotional I am. I am a single father of two boys, and my life revolves around them. Recently, my son Jet went through a serious medical ordeal that turned our world upside down. We are so relieved to be back home, but the road to recovery is long and challenging.

Jet is still healing from his injuries and has to get his bandages changed daily, a painful process that brings him to tears. This is especially heartbreaking because he used to love taking baths, but now the word alone makes him cry. The experience has also taken an emotional toll on me, as I do my best to care for my boys and navigate this new reality.

The hospital stay and follow-up care have left us with a mountain of billsthat I am now having a hard time catching up with. On top of that, the time I had to take off from my job with the City—which was unpaid after my vacation and sick time ran out—caused our finances to spiral. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) was a lifesaver for protecting my job, but it couldn't protect our savings.

We are reaching out to our community for help. Your support would go directly toward paying off our medical debt and covering our day-to-day expenses so I can focus on getting Jet the care he needs to recover fully. Any donation, no matter the size, will make a profound difference for our family.