Jayden’s Fight After Covid: 3 Pacemakers: One brave heart

"I hope you never feel the pain of holding your child, screaming-praying they open their eyes and come back to you. I hope you never feel the pain in watching their fight for life, their sheer hidden exhaustion. I hope most of all you never hold them without oxygen so long it scars and damages their brain."

This is the side of Covid no one sees, knows, or even remembers-because it didn't take your child-it took ours.

First Covid caused severe tachycardia, with it she began passing out. Second Covid left us even more broken. Her diagnosis placed our family in sheer panic.

Asystole. No heartbeat. Flatlining. Jayden was then moved by Ambulance to New Orleans Children's Hospital 5 hours south of us. This is where we learned she now had a lesion on the right side of her brain-most likely from lack of oxygen. It began causing seizures with a mix of rare epileptic discharges, dysfunction of the brain, and focal slowing of the left side.....

Jayden has missed most of her high school years. They have been spent fighting the unknowns of the virus. Wherever she goes, she goes with a caddy of meds to keep her brain and heart stable-followed by days of bedrest to catch up.

Her brain is slowly healing. Her heart is not. Her life depends on a pacemaker. First pacer failed at 7 months, second (revision) has caused endless problems fighting in and out of the hospital.

It is with pride set aside that we post this. We have fought for so long, most silently with little help. We have spent over a year now, almost 30 trips in and out of NOLA for surgeries, ICU, testing, ultrasounds, MRI's, and appointments-praying for answers.

10,000 breaks the surface-but anything-any amount adds up to help continue taking care of our girl.

As of this week we know she will have to have heart surgery again-this will be her 3rd-but for now-until the hospital makes the decisions needed we are in waiting-taking it one day at a time.

We have received a donation already by check and Venmo.

My Venmo is

@Pamela-Gross-48

And to Jayden who I know will see this:

We don't for any moment regret any swipe of our credit cards to take care of you-from the hotels, to the food to feed us, or the gas stations to get us there. You are NOT and NEVER will be a burden-that is a heavy weight to carry and it breaks my heart. You sweetie are the complete opposite-you are a survivor. Though this-you have carried a smile, and managed to do the impossible with keeping up with school. We've been through a rollercoaster of ups and downs, hardships, and setbacks-but we will keep pushing until we take back what Covid has taken from you-no matter what that price is-It's what parents do.