UPDATE: October 9, 2025

It has now been 3 months since the stroke, and we're all so happy that Jennifer is on the road to recovery. (See new photo above! Do you know what all that white stuff is? It's brain scan from Day 1, and shows the initial damage from the stroke.)

The Good News

Jennifer rarely needs to use her wheelchair while at home, can take short (safe) walks inside without her walker, and has even graduated to trying out a shiny purple cane!

She's going to gently return to work, thankfully remote, the week of October 13! Her colleagues have been so patient and generous with her during this ordeal, and understand that she will be working at a different pace.

This means that the paychecks -- and probably more importantly, her health insurance -- are safe for now.

The Challenges

There's still a lot she cannot do. Driving is off the table due to vision and vertigo issues, which means that nearly everything she needs has to be delivered. Likewise, if she can't get a ride to an appointment, Uber and Lyft are on call. These are just two of the many hidden costs of stroke recovery when you live alone.

While we're thankful that Jennifer still has health insurance, she'll be on a new policy given her need for frequent visits with specialists, CAT scans, and physical therapy sessions in the coming months. This means that every paycheck will be smaller by several hundred dollars. Her next check will not be coming for about 3 weeks.

And the medical bills. So far, there's an ambulance bill to be settled. Jennifer is still waiting for more information about any other money she'll owe. That will all be negotiated when the time comes, though.

As for this fundraiser, Jennifer's needs are finally coming into focus as the weeks go by. With unexpected living expenses, ongoing doctor visits, and smaller paychecks, she'll need to start dipping into these donations soon.

Any little bit you can contribute is so appreciated! Even just sharing this post will go a long way!

Thanks, everyone!

_________________________________

THE STORY: On Sunday July 13th, 2025, Jennifer suffered an ischemic stroke on the right vestibular portion of her brain. Although this type of stroke is often fatal, she called 911 and survived.

See the dark spot on her brain scan? If that damage had spread even a tiny bit closer to her brain stem, the stroke would’ve taken her last breath along with her last heartbeat.

That gap between life and death is almost immeasurable on the scans. However, the road to a full recovery from this stroke is measurable in many ways.

After nearly a week in the ICU, Jennifer was moved to the hospital's rehabilitation unit for daily occupational, physical, and speech therapy. She was released from the hospital on July 31. If you're thinking, "three weeks in a hospital with around-the-clock care sounds expensive," you're right. The first hospital bill is just shy of $200,000, and Jennifer now has to work with her insurance company to shrink that number as much as possible.

Now that she is home, Jennifer will be working hard every day for a minimum of six months (up to nine months) to relearn how to walk and regain basic mobility, retrain her paralyzed vocal cords, resynchronize her eyes, and strengthen all the vital systems she needs to live independently.

This will require more physical, occupational, and speech therapy. More check ups. More brain scans. During recovery, she will be unable to work, drive, walk her dogs Moby and Bunny, cook for herself, and countless other daily activities that she used to take for granted.

She'll need occasional in-home PT and other care until she can confidently take care of herself. Jennifer is currently working with her insurance company to see what that includes (or doesn't). If you have time to spare and would like another way to give, here's a sign up sheet for people who can help with dog walking, meals, transportation to appointments, and more: https://www.giveinkind.com/inkinds/X8F4G5H/jen-mason-recovery-care

Anything you can give to help Jennifer's long recovery -- even just sharing this fundraiser -- would be so deeply appreciated. You can even set up a small monthly donation. We can't estimate exactly what these donations will need to cover at this point, but it will be dedicated to medical and living expenses. Jess Dukes, Jana King, and Michelle Casey are managing this Go Fund Me for her, and will be updating this page as needed.

Jennifer is working SO hard to regain control of her body, and being able to manage some of these expenses will give her control of her life, too.

We can't thank you enough!

Jess, Jana, and Michelle