Help Kellen and the Jackley Family Overcome Hardship

Meet my dear friends, the Jackley Family – Tommy (Dad), Stacie (Mom), and their incredible kids Kaylin & Kellen. They’re the kind of family who has a positive, lasting impact on all who meet them, always going above & beyond for others. Now they need our help to get them through a very difficult time.

Their son, Kellen, is living with a single ventricle heart. He was born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a rare, complex congenital heart defect in which the left ventricle is severely underdeveloped and non-functioning (essentially half a heart). It is fatal without immediate intervention after birth and requires a lifetime of care. He’s had 3 open-heart surgeries, the first at just 2 days old, and countless additional surgeries and procedures, the most recent on 8/16/24. Despite the obstacles in Kellen’s first few years of life, he is a very happy kid living his best life with his biggest supporter, big sister Kaylin.

In 2015, he was granted a ‘Make-a-Wish’ trip to meet Mickey Mouse. They spent a magical, fun-filled week at Give Kids The World, visited Walt Disney World and Universal Studios, and did all the things kids dream about. The trip was so life-changing for their family after experiencing all of the hope, love, and generosity from everyone at GKTW, that shortly after, they decided to move to Central Florida to join their mission to help support families who had a child with a life-threatening illness like Kellen’s. They knew first-hand the profound impact that a week of endless fun & laughter, while creating treasured family memories, can have on a family going through the unimaginable.

They were eager to give back by sharing their story on stage & social media to help raise awareness for GKTW. Kellen has raised over $13,000 with his own original artwork for Give Kids The World Village. Stacie has raised over $5,000 rappelling 428ft down the Hyatt Regency in Orlando. The Jackleys also started a family YouTube channel live streaming from the Disney Parks in an effort to bring joy, inspiration, and positive energy to others, as well as using it as a platform to fundraise and bring awareness to Give Kids The World Village, a non-profit that runs on donations and volunteers. They’ve raised over $33,000 over the past few years. Kellen’s passion for giving back was recognized and he was a 2021 recipient for the ‘MMC’89 Be Great!’ Humanitarian award, our youngest recipient, presented by myself and Mouseketeer Damon Pampolina.

Sadly, over the past few years, life has become overwhelmingly challenging for the Jackley family. The pandemic produced circumstances outside of their control that have been debilitating financially, mentally, and physically for their family.

During the pandemic, Tommy was furloughed for over a year from his part-time job at Walt Disney World, and shortly after, Stacie lost her job of 18 years. Also, in the middle of the pandemic, they had to move with short notice from the house they were renting due to the property owner selling it at the start of the housing market craze. This forced them to relocate blindly to a poorly cared-for rental home that is now well above their means, with a 30% increase in rent since the move. Then, in March 2024, Tommy unexpectedly lost his full-time job of 24 years and in tandem, their health insurance coverage.

With this compounding loss of income, and an uphill battle to find employment, they’ve depleted their savings, medical emergency savings for Kellen, and maxed out all of their credit cards. With over $120,000 in medical bills and debt, they are struggling to provide for their family and are out of options to find the light at the end of the tunnel.

Prior to the pandemic, they had planned to move back to their home in Pennsylvania to be closer to family & Kellen’s Care Team in Philadelphia. In another series of unfortunate events, they lost this home in a short-sale due to their suddenly unstable tenant who abruptly stopped paying rent and did extensive damage to the house before walking away from it, leaving a confounding mess behind, making it uninhabitable and himself unreachable. It was a devastating loss that cost them thousands of dollars and was the beginning of a downward spiral to their finances, credit, and living situation.

They have been doing everything they can to keep a roof over their head and find the best possible resolution for their family, but time is running out. With medical bills mounting, never-ending inflation, and the unexpected struggle to secure employment, they are in jeopardy of losing housing and the chance to rebuild a better life for their kids. Their lives are devastatingly different from pre-pandemic and they’ve given selflessly to others. Let’s come together to help them get back on their feet.

All money donated will go directly to the family to help them find stable housing and pay their bills and debts. Any amount would be of great help for this loving family who has contributed and supported so much to others and their community. If you aren't able to contribute at this time, reading and sharing this with your friends and family would be incredibly helpful and much appreciated.