I am Ash, Jennifer’s cousin and I’m posting this with my mom and sister to get Jennifer some extra help.

Jennifer has been dealing with chronic kidney disease since 2022 when she was life-flighted to Bend with septic shock due to a stone infection, the chronic kidney stones started in 2018. A couple of weeks ago she had an emergency surgery to remove a nine-millimeter kidney stone and have a stent placed. Every time she has a large stone that has to be lasered or she gets an infection, it causes her kidney disease to act up and her kidney function drops significantly. She has another surgery on April 1st to laser more stones in both her right and left kidney. At this time she has stage 3B kidney disease.

Due to the pain of the stent placements and being sick from it, she has been left unable to work since March 9th. She has dealt with this multiple times in the past (8 surgeries in the last 5 years and dozens of other events passing stones without surgery and kidney function drops) and was able to function enough to take care of her family while losing her income, but this time it has been too difficult for her to do that. It has left her mentally, physically and emotionally drained.

She is a 41-year-old mother of four, three are school aged children at home. She is a beloved self-employed professional hair stylist and colorist. She would never ask for this help herself and we are proud of her for accepting. In 2022 when she was out of work for 3 months due to the kidney failure, she received around $1100 from a GoFundMe that her sister lovingly started for her and a jar at her salon when she was out of work for 3 months but that money almost entirely went to paying the rent for her salon chair for those months and didn't help with living expenses.

These funds will be used for unpaid leave from work, funds to care for her children and household expenses, the goal is two months worth of bills (March/April). It would relieve some of the stress that she is feeling which will help with the proper healing that she needs and deserves. It's possible that she will need more help moving forward but we're starting here.

Jennifer has had to play the role of a caretaker for herself and other family members since she was a kid. She is beyond deserving of this, it is long overdue. The last thing she wants to do is ask for help even from those who know and love her, let alone strangers.

Jennifer has raised her kids and other's children while continuing to work full time and provide the kids with opportunities that she didn't have and a stable home environment. This woman has never been given a break in life and it seems like life has always tried breaking her. Please help her take the time she needs to heal and catch up for a minute.

With much love and appreciation,

Ash, Amber and Lecia