Helping My Friend Jason Get the Life‑Saving Surgery He Desperately Needs

My name is Christina Spear, and I’m creating this fundraiser for my dear friend Jason, someone I love like family. I’m asking for your help because Jason is facing a medical crisis that he cannot overcome alone — and time is not on his side.

Jason needs bariatric surgery (gastric bypass) through the Vanderbilt Weight Loss Center, under the care of Dr. Jason Samuels, a respected surgeon who finally took Jason’s health seriously. This surgery is not cosmetic. It is medically necessary and could very well save his life.

Jason is 5'3" and 375 lbs, and he has been fighting obesity since he was 11 years old. Over the years, his weight has contributed to a long list of serious health conditions, including:

• Congestive Heart Failure

• Fibromyalgia

• Degenerative Disc Disease with multiple herniated discs

• Severe Neuropathy

• Arthritis and two damaged knees

• Asthma

• Limb Length Discrepancy

• Bipolar Disorder

These conditions limit his mobility, cause daily pain, and put him at constant risk. Jason is now almost completely confined to a wheelchair. His heart, his spine, his nerves, his lungs — all of them are under strain. His doctors agree: without this surgery, his health will continue to decline.

Jason and his wife Susan had planned to use their income tax refund to cover his portion of the surgery. But due to an unexpected and severe decrease in their refund this year, they simply cannot cover the cost. They are short by approximately $2,500— and that is the only thing standing between Jason and the surgery he urgently needs.

He is hoping to schedule the procedure for late April or May, but he cannot set a date until this remaining amount is paid.

Jason is not someone who asks for help easily. He is a proud father of two grown sons, and he dreams of being healthy enough to one day play with his future grandchildren. His youngest son, Tyler, graduated from Auburn University in May of 2025 — one of Jason’s proudest moments as a father.

Jason has spent his entire adult life serving his community. When his boys were growing up, both were in band, and Jason poured his heart into supporting them and every child in the program. He served as a dedicated Band Parent, an active Band Booster, and even spent 2½ years as Band Booster President. He organized events, supported students, and worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure the band program thrived. Anyone who knows him knows how much he gave — and how much he loved every minute of it.

Jason and Susan have also been deeply involved in their local community theater, the Mountain Valley Playhouse. Susan currently serves on the board, and Jason served on the board for two years. Together, they volunteer at shows, practices, and events, helping keep the arts alive in their community. Even as Jason’s health declined, they continued showing up for others.

And through all of this, Susan has carried an enormous load. She has to take off work frequently to drive Jason to his many medical appointments — including the long, exhausting 4‑hour trips to the Vanderbilt Weight Loss Center. She does it without complaint, because she loves him. But the strain is real, and it has taken a toll on their finances, their time, and their energy.

Jason and Susan have been married for 30 years, and they have weathered every storm together. This surgery is their chance at a future where Jason can regain mobility, reduce his pain, and reclaim his health — and where Susan doesn’t have to worry every day about losing the man she loves.

In November 2025, Jason started a new chapter — a determined, courageous fight to reclaim his health. He is doing everything he can. But this last financial hurdle is something he cannot overcome alone.

If you can give anything, no matter how small, it will move him one step closer to a healthier, safer, longer life. And if you can’t give, sharing this fundraiser means more than you know.

Jason has spent his life showing up for others. Today, I’m asking us to show up for him.

— Christina