Help Jermel Experience Joy Before Time Runs Out

Because one trip shouldn’t be too much to ask—for someone who’s fought so hard just to be here.

Some people fight their whole life for a chance at peace.

My son, Jermel, has been fighting since birth.

Born with dangerously enlarged kidneys and a blocked bladder, he couldn’t relieve himself for the first three months of his life. Doctors dismissed my pleas—until an unexpected ultrasound finally revealed the truth: his tiny body was under immense pressure. He was rushed to Cleveland Clinic for emergency surgery just to be able to pee.

Since then, it’s been hospital visits, surgeries, specialists, and long nights filled with worry. At age 3, one kidney was declared non-functional. At age 4, it was removed. By 16, he was on dialysis. And now, at 23, his body is tired—but his spirit still dreams.

Doctors once told me he wouldn’t live past 11.

But he did.

They told me to give him up for adoption to “make my life easier.”

But I didn’t.

Because I believed his life was worth fighting for.

Jermel has survived more loss than most adults.

The kids he once did dialysis with? Nearly all gone.

His childhood best friend? Gone.

Even his football coach passed.

He has seen what happens when the chairs in the treatment center stay empty too long.

And now… he just wants one thing:

To travel—just once—before it’s too late.

His girlfriend Jaylyn and her family are going to Las Vegas this weekend. They’ve opened their home and their hearts to him in a way that’s given him the closest thing to stability he’s ever known. They want him to join them on this trip.

But Jermel can’t just hop on a plane.

He’s on dialysis, and missed treatments could be fatal.

He needs two dialysis sessions while in Vegas—and those must be paid out of pocket.

Medicaid doesn’t cover treatments out of state.

And after working so hard to earn money for this trip, his employer stole his pay and fired him without cause. Now, days before the trip, he’s short on funds—and short on time.

This is where you come in.

We’re asking for help to cover the cost of:

✅ Two dialysis treatments in Las Vegas

✅ The remainder of his trip expenses

✅ Emergency medical support while out of state

✅ Travel accommodations that consider his physical needs

✅ A moment of joy, peace, and normalcy for a young man who’s never had that luxury.

We are hoping to raise $5,000 to $10,000 to make this possible on short notice. Every donation—big or small—gets us closer.

If you’ve ever wanted to do something meaningful,

If you’ve ever wished you could truly change a life,

This is that moment.

Please help Jermel take this trip—not someday, but this week.

Because some people don’t get “someday.”

They get “now”… or never.

From the bottom of this mama’s heart,

Thank you.

— Jessica (Jermel’s mom)