Help the Jasso Kids!

Hi – my name is Nicky Lindman and I am reaching out to all of you on behalf of a family in need – a family I care greatly about.

 

We moved to Wausau when our oldest son was entering 8th grade. New house, new community, new school and new friends. His first day of school, he had to ride a city bus to middle school. It was packed, standing room only – all kids he didn’t know. He ended up tripping over a girl’s backpack – her name was Adriana, also an 8th grader and new to the community and school. And so began a friendship for these two Southeast Siders, that has brought years of laughter, late night fast food runs, and hours of driving absolutely no where but everywhere.

 

This fall, Adriana started college at UW Stevens Point and everything was again new and exciting. She had gotten some amazing scholarships and she had hopes of becoming a dentist, so she was busy figuring out school and social plans while continuing to work as a waitress at Tri City Restaurant. However, in October she and the rest of her family - mother, brother, sister and grandmother all became sick with COVID. Yes – COVID!

 

Adriana and her siblings (15yr old twins Julia & Isaac, sophomores at Wausau East) were sick with symptoms, but able to handle the virus without medical intervention . Grandma and Mom (Suzie) were hospitalized – they had underlying health conditions and things escalated quickly. Both Mom and Grandma were placed on ventilators – in different hospitals in Wausau.

 

Mom is a single parent, and Grandma has always been her emergency backup. With both of them now sedated and intubated, Adriana made the difficult decision to leave college– and return home to care for her siblings, their home, family pets, and to make medical decisions for people she loves. Adriana is 18yrs old.

 

On Saturday, November 6th – Adriana held her grandmother’s hand as she was taken off life support and died. Julia and Isaac – Adriana’s 15yr old siblings were not allowed in to say their goodbyes to grandma. Adriana also had to make a decision to have her mother transferred to the main hospital in Marshfield so that her mother could be placed on an ECMO machine because the ventilator was not working for her. ECMO is a machine that is doing all the work for the lungs and heart, giving them a chance to heal – Marshfield has 2 ECMO machines, and Suzie got one of them!

 

Suzie is fighting hard, but the days ahead will not be easy. While she is in the COVID ICU, the kids are not allowed to visit her. COVID is complicated and every day is different. Suzie is in a fragile and critical condition. The doctors anticipate Suzie being on ECMO for the next several weeks, after ECMO, there will be some in hospital rehabilitation and then eventually home for additional rehabilitation and recovery. Once she is removed off the ECMO machine, she will be moved into a regular hospital room and can have her children come visit her – they need to see her, touch her and talk with her.

 

And so – we have three teenagers navigating this nightmare. Adriana is the amazing responsible first born – shouldering all of this – wanting to do everything right by everyone. Julia is heartbroken and Isaac is being the typical stoic man – holding it all in. All three kids continue to work at Tri-City Restaurant, trying to stay busy! Isaac just started the basketball season for Wausau East and he and Julia look forward to getting their driver’s licenses in the beginning of December - because turning 16 is a big deal. But, nothing feels right without mom and sadness and worry consume their hearts and minds.

 

I am devastated for this family, for these kids – and this is how I could help….by asking all of you to help me lift this family and support this family. Any donation - large or small will help! All $$ will be given to the family to use for household expenses and living expenses while mom is hospitalized and recovering.