Jason Brisbin

Hello -

My name is Melissa - I am a nurse, science geek, computer nerd, and a big fan of my older sister, which makes me more than happy to write this on behalf of Jess, her husband Jason, and their two boys (Owen & Avery).

This past spring, Jason was diagnosed with Acute Kidney Disease after experiencing a brief period of high blood pressure readings. At the time of diagnosis, the disease had progressed rapidly enough that Jason was told he would require a kidney transplant. Jess and Jason chose Abbott Northwestern in Minneapolis as the transplant facility, and Jason started undergoing evaluation with their nephrology team. Things moved along steadily through the early summer; symptoms remained relatively mild and controlled with medications and diet. His medical team had planned to place a fistula later in the summer as long as he remained stable. Forward onto late July, Jason's symptoms worsened, and he was admitted to our local hospital. His kidney function had decreased significantly, so a port was placed in his chest in order to start urgent dialysis. A few weeks after the port placement, he had the fistula placed in his arm for future use. Once Jason started a regular dialysis schedule - three times weekly - his kidney failure symptoms improved and he had been feeling quite well.

Then, over the summer, Jason started noticing vision changes. He eventually lost most of his peripheral vision in both eyes. After extensive workup, he was found to have a craniopharyngioma that would require surgical removal (because why the hell NOT have another major organ go haywire?!) Jason underwent a very long craniotomy to remove the tumor on Monday, October 24th at the University of Minnesota. The tumor removal was successful (and is benign), but has not been free of complications. Jason experienced a brain bleed shortly after the surgery that has kept him in the Neurotrauma ICU up until now. He's had some significant neurological and physical setbacks because of this, but his doctors continue to assure Jess that these are not entirely uncommon complications and should continue to improve over time.

There were also issues with his dialysis line clotting and not functioning well shortly after the craniotomy, but luckily that seems to be cleared up.

The good news is - Jason should be transitioning from the U of MN to a local inpatient rehab facility sometime this week! Details are still pending, but we are eager for his arrival as soon as it falls into place. Jason will require ongoing therapies for a while before it is safe for him to return home with his family.

It goes without saying that Jason's timeline to return to work at Cirrus remains uncertain at this time. Jess has been unable to work at her job as the office manager at their local church, as she has spent a good deal of time traveling back and forth to the Cities in the past few weeks. She has been fervent in trying to be present for Jason, while also doing a great job of maintaining a sense of normalcy for Owen and Avery at home.

It would be fantastic if this were the last hurdle for Jason, but once he is recovered and cleared for transplant, he will undergo another major surgery to receive a new and improved kidney. Can we all cross our fingers that no more of Jason's organs start misbehaving?!? THANKS!!!

Our families would really love for Jason and Jess to not worry about finances during this incredibly wild phase of life. Please consider donating if you are able, and we'd appreciate you sharing this page with anyone that would like to support them. We appreciate your generosity more than you know!

We love them so much!