Hi, my name is Jae. I’m 17 years old.

The photo above is me with my siblings and my mom. I’ve never done anything like this before, but I truly need your help.

I was recently diagnosed in September 2025 with a chronic illness called Idiopathic Gastroparesis. Simply put, my stomach has become partially paralyzed, which makes it very difficult to digest food. Because of this, I deal with daily nausea, pain, muscle spasms, and daily discomfort.

Before getting sick, I loved working out and playing sports. I was a very active teenager. Since my diagnosis, my entire life has changed. Most days, the pain is unbearable. Unfortunately, most pain medications can actually make my condition worse, so doctors are very limited in what they can prescribe.

Recently, specialists determined that I’m a good candidate for a treatment called IB-STIM. I’ve started receiving weekly treatments at CHOC, and so far, it’s been helping. This gives me some hope but I need to continue going consistently for it to work.

Here’s where we need help.

I live about 40 minutes away from my doctor, and my family recently lost our car. My parents are going through a divorce, and my dad took and sold our vehicle. My mom is solely caring for me and my younger siblings, but she doesn’t have the financial means right now to purchase another car.

Without a car, I can’t get to my treatments.

My mom has been a stay at home mom for 15 years and is doing everything she can to provide for us during this difficult time, but it hasn’t been enough. I’m asking for help so we can raise money for a down payment on a reliable car so I can continue getting the medical care I need.

I also want to share something important about my mom. She’s not my biological mother, but she has been my mom since I was 2 years old. She’s the only mom I’ve ever known. Before having her own two children, she chose to raise four kids as her own when she was just 22 years old, and she has shown up for me every single day of my life.

Now I just want to help her the way she’s always helped me.

Any support, whether it’s a donation or simply sharing this, means more than I can express.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story.

—Jae