Home Modifications for the Douglas Family #BringingJesHome

Hi, my name is Kevin and I am fundraising for my brother Joe and his family.

On February 2nd of 2023, my brother Joe's wife, Jes, had a traumatic hemorrhagic stroke. She began the fight for her life, while just hours before she was running and jumping with her children Axel and Bayne. As she began a 5 month stay at University Hospital, the outlook and prognosis remained unknown. The stroke caused swelling in her brain, weakness & paralysis in her right eye, loss of speech, and partial vision loss in her right eye. Joe, her parents, and the rest of our family held out hope for positive steps towards the outcomes we hoped for. Jes continued to experience a difficult path towards healing and had several setbacks as she required including 4 brain surgeries and an endoscopic third ventriculostomy.

We received the first amazing news as Jes was transferred to St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital (STEGH) at the Integrated Stroke and Rehabilitation Unit. Jes was totally dependent on others for her care so this was the beginning of her rehabilitation journey. Doctors voiced their doubts about delayed recovery, but if there is one thing you know if you know Jes, she doesn't stop and will never give up. The "gains" as the Doctors call it, began to exceed their expectations. Over the next 10 and a half months, Jes learned to gain balance and began to sit up, stand, and walk with support. She is currently using a wheelchair and is working towards using a walker.

Prior to this event, Jes and Joe had just completed the dream renovation to their family home. This began another challenge for the Douglas household as Joe knew the renovation would need significant additional changes to accommodate for her return. As Jes began to regain her ability to communicate, she expressed her desires to come home. The date became more clear, and the pressure on Joe mounted to address the necessary changes.

After 1 year, 3 months, and 6 days, Jes returned home. Her goals are to become as independent as possible and participate in life with her husband and two young sons. To reach these goals, we are making the necessary modifications to the house such as a wheelchair accessible entry, washroom and access to the backyard where the boys play. We are hoping to help raise these funds to lighten the burden on the family during this time. Any additional funds will be utilized for Jes' ongoing care that requires some significant out of pocket expense.

Thank you