Jake Campaign
Christy & Jake
FRIDAY, OCT. 28:
Hey everyone, it's Joe here, wanted to give a quick update. Dig the new pics of Jake and me doing some rattle snake hunting. Jake was on life support 4 months ago, now he's got a shot gun on a ranch lol. Don't worry mom, we're professionals :)
Btw we texted these new cowboy pics to the nurses, and seriously, two of them asked "who's the guy on the left?".. haha they seriously didn't recognize Jake he looks so "normal" lol.
Christy and her mom Carol are back out here in LA visitting, and it's been hilarious. See Pics below horse back riding. They were out here taking care of Jake in the ICU during his first few weeks and now they're back to find the old Jake is back... talking a million miles a minute without end lol.
Jake is doing amazing. He's ten times better than he's been in years. His attitude, his strength, his outlook on life. He's doing great with his medications and appointments. He does have pain in his legs and feet from time to time but they are working on that.
Jake is getting screwed around by the insurance company and are trying to make jake pay $800 a month for ONE medication??? So that battle is still going on. Bastards.
Also wanted to make a few corrections to the last post. As you know I'm always happy to look cool lol, but that last update might not have told the entire story. Whatever I did, I sure didn't do anything alone... our time in the hospital was an incredible team effort. Me and Jake work well together. I was like "Mick" the trainer and Jake was Rocky.. and our nurses and doctors were freaking Angels sent from Heaven.
Jake's NURSES and DOCTORS are not only the best at their jobs.... did I mention UCLA Medical is in the top 3 hospitals in the country?... but the nurses and docs are also like family now. We were with them everyday for five months, we know them, we love them. The entire hospital was rooting for Jake. Honestly, Jake nor myself would have made it without them. I never would have been able to leave jake alone for one second, if I didn't feel like the nurses watching him were our best friends.. and they were. Next update I'm gonna post pics of all of them so you can meet them all.
Also "props" to our Mom, Mary. Our mom handled this ordeal like a champ. There were some dark days but overall she stayed hopeful and strong. I would not allow her to travel out to LA to see Jake (health concerns and I didn't want her to see her son like that).. but Mom was always with us. Talked on the phone everyday... Oh i forgot... Over the months in the hospital, our mom mailed us about four pound cakes, several care packages, and even her home made chili.. haha.. and we totally ate it all. She sent enough for all the doctors and nurses, who all freaked out every time a "Jake's Mom Package" arrived. The staff literally gobbled down her cakes and would pester us to have mom send more. We love you mom.
This is silly, but wanted to clarify, in the last post it was mentioned that I got a guy fired for being rude to Jake... Actually no.. it was the doctors who got him fired. They heard about the incident and were like "He was rude to our Jake?. Oh hell no!" Ghosted that dude.
Also I would like to say let's not be to hard on Jake about all this. This was a disease that landed Jake in the hospital. A disease that millions of Americans deal with, including myself probably.. I just hope we can all keep supporting Jake in his sobriety. He's been doing great. I've never been more proud of Jake or anyone in my life to see him pull through like he did. Did I mention the nurses call Jake "Ironman"... and also "The Beast" haha. The day I told our main doctor that Jake had walked, he said "Dude, Jake's a Beast!"
Jake and me are still stunned everyday by how lucky we are to have friends and family like you all. I mean it. We love you guys more than our manhood will allow us to say lol.
Anywho I'll post again soon. The battle now is to see if Jake will be cleared for travel to come home for Christmas. Fingers crossed :)
xoxoxo
Joe 
Jake
Christy
Carol
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Tuesday, July 5:
Crazy incredible, difficult to believe NEWS!!!
Jake will be getting out of the hospital this Wednesday or Thursday!!!
Seriously, it's hard to grasp, considering the odds stacked against us.
Jake is no longer in Intensive Care, he has his own normal room with a nice view and a bathroom.
His numbers look good and he is physically great, except that the meds make him have no appetite, and he needs to eat more.
Lisa Haskins and myself will be his main care givers for the next 3 months. We are required to stay with him 24/7, in 12 hour shifts. We also had to attend 6 hour classes to learn about nutrition and all of Jake's medication.
He will need to take close to 40 pills a day, watch what he eats, and have physical therapy. He will need to return to the hospital twice a week for monitoring and clinic.
He still has a ways to go and there is always the threat of transplant rejection. It's kind of like the first 3 months we were fighting for a shot at the title, and now we have to win the title fight.
Again, Jake is very aggitated and confused at times from steroids and medication. He does have his phone, which he often calls friends and complains that he doesn't have his wallet, or other items. He also complains that Joe (myself) has never been there and is not helping him lol. I've been there day and night for 105 days straight. He just doesn't remember it. He called me yesterday saying where the hell am I, when I had just left hours before.
I know you're trying to help but please don't call me asking me to bring Jake the items he's complaining about. Trust me I am on top of the situation. In Jake's condition he is not able to have his contact lenses, credit cards or other items, so I have to keep them from him, until he is in his right mind.
Thanks as always for your support and love.
Please share and spread this link around.
Joe
Thursday, June 23:
So Jake is recovering pretty well. He is a little confused and loopy from meds and liver steroids, but we've been through this before, and now knowing it's only temporary, makes it much easier.
Some random details about Jake's surgeries. His liver transplant was a mess with complications and unknownd discoveries when they got in there. 14 hours for the first surgery. They had to construct a longer "artery" from the donor because Jake was so big the existing artery didn't reach.
After the surgery, the doctor said to my horror, "your brother tried to die on me.. he tried to die on the table..." Yes really. Liver patients are always anemic, meaning they bleed a lot. Jake bled over 50 liters of blood. That's 25 two liter bottles of Coke. He almost broke the blood bank. His blood pressure dropped to 30, and there were several moments of panic in the operating room. I really can't talk about much more now, without freaking out so moving on.
I'll try to post more pics and info as my scrambled brain remembers stuff.
Thanks so much for you great comments and donations.
Jake's insurance is paying some of the medical costs but certainly not all. The external post care, expenses, specific meds, added care givers. Even if this ordeal put us in the poor house, I'd rather live on the streets in a cardboard box with Jake than to not have him around. So it's all gravy if this works out.
PLEASE SHARE THIS LINK, I haven't been able to do so as much as needed.
Monday, June 17:
At some point I'll explain all the incredible and impossible odds Jake overcame to get to this point, but quick update: JAKE GOT HIS TRANSPLANT!!
The Liver transplant was Friday. It was a dangerous and difficult... terrifying complications... 15 hours, where the incredible surgeon Dr. Kaldis worked magic.
They actually stopped the surgery because Jake was getting too unstable.. so they stablized him and let him recover a bit over night.
The next morning, Saturday, the doctors determined that Jake was strong enough to get his Kidney transplant, which went pretty well, 5 hour surgery.
Sunday afternoon the doctors went back in to do some final things, then closed him. His surgeries are hopefully over, and he is now recovering.
Will send more info soon... I gotta get over to see Jake because he just got the breathing tube out and he's complaining "Where is my idiot brother" lol
Please leave a comment if you donate to this page. Jake reads them.
PS.
Let's be happy, but not too happy. Jake still has a long road to go. Still the fear of infections and complications post surgery. He also has a long physical rehabilitation in front of him, having been in bed for 3 months.
Cautiously optimistic. But overall, this is seriously beyond belief.
When I got to the hospital three months ago, one doctor literally said "Jake's chance of making it to transplant is probably 1 in 10,000".... Yes, really.
I truly believe it was all of the love from friends, family and the hospital staff that carried him this far.
LOVE YOU ALL... FREALSIES.
Joe
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Saturday, June 11:
JAKE IS ON the TRANSPLANT LIST!!!
Sorry for the lack of updates, but it's been a busy and stressful few weeks.
The amazing doctors and staff here at UCLA Medical Center really went to bat for Jake, and campaigned for him to be placed on the Liver transplant list after 3 months as opposed to 6.
Without getting into all the details and the hoops we had to jump through, it was mostly Jake's courageous strides to get stronger and his "amazing support from family and friends" that convinced the Transplant Board to accept Jake on the list. We are beyond thankful to Dr. Kaldis, Dr. Wang and Dr. Cheng for fighting for Jake. As well as Jake's amazing nurses who helped nurture him to make it this far.
Mentally, Jake is pretty much his normal self. He is sharp and funny although he gets tired easily. One nurse said that in her 30 years, she's never seen a patient in Jake's condition who was able to stand and walk like he's been doing.
When will Jake get his transplant? Strange thing is, because Jake is so sick, it actually helps because it puts him higher on the transplant list. The doctors say that once Jake is listed tomorrow, his transplant could be within a week or a few weeks, depending on donor types. It's a 12 hour operation and we pray all goes well.
It's almost beyond belief to have made it to this point. As wonderful as this news is, it's also scary. Actually getting a transplant can be just the beginning of the battle, and we've been through quite a bit already. But we are blessed and lucky to be here. Just hoping we can stay strong and keep going.
Please spread this GoFund link around, as the medical bills are astronomical even if insurance covers some. We will be hiring a Registered Nurse to help Jake during the 4 months of physical therapy and other expenses during and after the transplant.
Thanks so much for all the prayers and well wishes. Will try to keep you all posted. In the midst of this tough time, Jake and I have had some hilarious stories joking around in the ICU. I'll try to share some soon.
XOXOXO
Lisa Haskins below.. without her, dude, I can't even tell you. 
Sat. May 7:
Not much to report. Some ups and downs but basically Jake is hanging in there and about the same. We try to get him outside as often as we can but now he is on kidney dialysis so it's hard to find time. Jake is often tired and sometimes a little confused from all the meds and chemicals, but overall we are hopeful. We moved his bed so that he can look out the window, which he really likes.
It's now just 3 weeks until he can be re-evaluated for liver transplant consideration. Please spread the GoFund link because not only for the money raised but the evaluation board considers how much support from friends and family Jake will have. So even if you can't donate, be sure to leave a comment here or on Facebook explaining how much you care about Jake and will support him after his transplant.
Sorry I haven't been able to reply to all texts and emails. I'm a bit busy with Jake most of the time. As far as visiting, please email me, but it's a little random when Jake is "up" for a visitor so we kind of have to play it by ear.
Again, please share this link.
Thanks so much,
Joe 
Saturday, April 23:
Some good/bad news. Jake has been bumped up to possible transplant in a month and a half. That's good but also scary, because the doctors feel he's an "emergency case" and needs a transplant asap. The doctors and nurses here at UCLA Medical Center are clearly taking a special interest in Jake, and this "bump up the list" is not typical. We seriously love this medical team and factually couldn't be in a better facility.
Tony C. showed up unannounced (but not surprisingly) from Austin, TX, and had a great visit with Jake, Roger and me for a couple days.
I think I screwed up the gofundme account and no one was able to donate for a week or so. Please share and circulate this link if you can. Jake's medical bill would make you want to move to Canada.
Jake is pretty strong now so if anyone wants to come visit, please let me know. Or if you'd like to send Jake a physical card or mail (no flowers btw not allowed in ICU), email me for hospital address.
Thanks
Joe
[email redacted]
www.gofundme.com/helpdjjake
Wednesday, April 20 :
Been some ups and downs. Jake is getting physically stronger, but internally there is not much improvement. We try to take Jake outside everyday but sometimes he's just too tired. Jake's doctors are trying to "pull some strings" so Jake can be considered for a liver transplant in just a month and a half (rather than waiting another 5 months) but that's if he can qualify for all criteria. In the mean time, we are hoping we can get him strong enough to go home, where we will hire a full time nurse to care for him (along with friends and fam) to keep him healthy until transplant. Will try to keep updting. Thanks to all for your support and love. Please say a prayer and share this link with friends. xoxo
TUESDAY, APRIL 12...
Jake staying in ICU a few more days. Got to go outside in wheelchair yesterday, which was great for him. Today I cut Jake's hair, which was getting into "heat miser" territory. Now looks good.
Please remember to share this link as I have a lot to do here and keep forgetting. Thanks
SUNDAY, APRIL 10...
Good news, looks like Jake is getting out of ICU and moving to a private room on the 8th floor. He was also well enough to be wheelchaired outside a bit which really boosted his spirits.
SATURDAY, APRIL 9... Jake's doing a little better everyday. Closing in on "stable" condition.
Breathing tube is out. He's a bit loopy from medication but he's talking, trying to get out of bed, and keeps telling me "Joe, pull the car around, we're leaving."
PROBLEM DONATING?
Some people have mentioned problems with donating process. Please try using a different browser.. (Google Chrome or Firefox).. that usually does the trick.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Thanks, Joe
[email redacted]
THURS. APRIL 7 .. GREAT NEWS!!!
Jake got the breathing tube out!! and is now babbling like he's on 8 cups of coffee. He's a little loopy from meds, but it's totally Jake. The doctors are amazed. They said "He probably won't be able to speak for days".. NOT.. When they pulled the tube out, Jake started coughing (even that was great to hear him make noise) "I yelled "Jake, are you ok?"... With annoyance, Jake said "Yes, jack ass!" LOL
WED. APRIL 6
Kinda good news. Jake is getting stronger everyday. Remember, he still has the breathing tube in and it's frustrating because he can't communicate with us. His hands have been very shakey from medication, but yesterday, for the first time, he was able to write a message on a peice of paper. It was hard to read. Kinda like a game show trying to figure out what he wrote. But we figured it out.. he wrote "water". He wanted a drink of water.
Dear Friends,
Our beloved Jake Keliikipi (DJ Jake) is in critical condition in Los Angeles UCLA Medical Center. Jake has acute liver failure and kidney failure. He was rushed to the hospital on March 3, and has been in Intensive Care ever since. For Jake to survive, he will need a full liver transplant.
Given the nature and circumstances of his illness, Jake's insurance will not cover most of his medical bills. His emergency care will be covered, but any transplants, extended ICU stay, international transport and the transplant operation will not be covered.
Jake has been in ICU for over a month, costing about $3000 per day. He will most likely need to remain in ICU several more weeks, possibly months. He is on dialysis, he had two operations to remove fluid from his lungs, and several other costly procedures. Jake's current medical bill is well over $200,000.
If Jake can get better, the next goal is to transport him for an emergency liver transplant (possibly outside of the USA). Without insurance, this could be well over $300,000.
Of course these are staggering numbers. We are hoping to put a dent in his medical costs with a modest goal of $50,000. I've never done this so not sure what to expect, but Jake has so many amazing friends, I'm pretty sure we can make a difference.
UPDADTE: Some people have respectfully asked: "Is Jake's condition alcohol related?" Most likely, no. The doctors say it's more about genetics. In fact, the woman nextdoor to Jake in the ICU, also has liver failure, and she has never had a drink in her life.
CURRENTLY: Jake is still in critical condition in intensive care. He is sedated but semi conscious. What is most frustrating is that he is unable to speak because of the breathing tube. This makes communicating his needs to the doctors profoundly difficult and stressful. But on most days Jake is very present and aware. He is able to nod and shake his head, squeeze your hand and even flash that patented "Jake facial expression".
HOPEFUL: Initially the doctors did not think Jake would regain consciousness.. he did. They did not think he would be aware or coherent.. he is. They did not expect him to be able to breath without the ventilator.. but with dayly attemps over the last couple weeks, Jake is now breathing on his own for most of the day.
These are amazing strides forward, but the harsh truth is, without a liver transplant, any progress will most likely be in vain.
Your outpouring of love for Jake is incredible. The flooding of comments saying, "We want to help Jake in any way we can", is what inspired us to create this page. We read all of your comments out loud to Jake and he obviously is very moved. Jake's brother Joe is with him in the hospital 24/7, as well as myself, cousins and friends rotating around the clock.
When Jake is stable enough to move, we will have a plan in place to get him his transplant. But the cost will be significant.
Please give what you can. Every little bit helps.
Please pray for him.
Please share this link with friends.
www.gofundme.com/helpdjjake
The world is a better place with Jake in it.
Thank you so much.
............................. FROM JOE ...............................
Hey guys,
It's Jake's bro, Average Joe.
I can't express how grateful we are.. me, my mom, our family and everyone is floored by all your support.
Jake is doing ok, there is always one of us by his side, Roger, Kristie, Joel, Vince, Janet, Rick, Dave Jones, Matt Fergus, and more.. The doctors and nurses are superb. It was strangely fortunate this happened in Los Angeles, because Jake is being treated by the best people in the country. And they clearly give a damn.
We will try to keep you posted on Jake's condition.
Please share and spread the link and Email me if you would like to visit Jake.
[email redacted]
Love you guys,
Joe