Our whole lives we talked about what we would do if we hit the jackpot. If we had that 1 in a million luck...only this time it wasn't luck! My dad, Andy, just got diagnosed with a very rare prion protein disease which is literally a 1 in a million chance of contracting called Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. This is a disease that is fatal within 1 year of onset. Prior to this April when these family photos were taken my dad was a healthy, hardworking, active man who was still working full time for the city of Lincoln, and providing for my mom who has been through multiple medical procedures herself, all while maintaining all financial obligations with his income.

We spent all 12 weeks of his unpaid FMLA looking for a diagnosis. Hoping it was a low B12, hoping with therapy the initial stroke they said it was would improve. Each day getting harder to see him lose interest in all things he loved and lose mobility and function. With this disease it has progressed so rapidly that the day we went in for a second opinion at UNMC Neurologists(June 24th, 2021) he was directly admitted to the hospital and is currently still there on hospice now since there is no treatment, cure, or medication to help with this fatal disease.

I am starting this fund knowing my Dad would shake his head as he was always the one to extend a helping hand and show up for others and never be the one to ask for help himself. With my dad having to take unpaid leave from work since April it has created a financial burden on my mom. My dad would not want to leave her stressed about the day to day finances of living, or with the huge medical debt from having over a month long stay in the hospital. If you find it in your heart and have the ability anything would help to keep my mom afloat while she is still juggling working full-time, having to take time off from work unpaid herself to be there with my dad and having to drive to and from 4 days a week or more to spend with my dad in Omaha at the hospital. Thank you all for staying with me this long to hear our families 1 in million story and thank you for your donations or even sharing this to your page! From the bottom of our hearts, thank you! - The Grows