As some of you know, and many may not, baby Elijah has encountered complications while still in Jessica’s womb. It began with a rare condition called posterior urethral valve, causing his bladder to back up and affect his kidneys. Although he started peeing at 20 weeks gestation, which was promising, by 30 weeks it became clear he will be born with kidney failure and will need constant dialysis due to numerous cysts on his kidneys.

At around 15kg (approximately 3 or 4 years old), Elijah will be eligible for a kidney transplant, which we hope will free him from dialysis. Additionally, he has a very rare chromosome deletion on the 19th long arm, a condition recorded in only 34 people worldwide, with unknown potential complications.

On October 1st, 2024, Jessica and Brandon traveled to the mainland to consult with doctors at BC Children’s Hospital. They discovered that Elijah has almost no amniotic fluid, either due to Jessica’s water breaking or Elijah not producing urine anymore, indicating his kidneys are in worse condition than initially thought. They have been advised not to leave the mainland and cannot return to the island to collect their belongings or live there for the foreseeable future. Jessica must have an escort at all times, preventing Brandon from working until after Elijah is born and both are under hospital care.

This situation was unexpected; they only planned to be in Vancouver for a day and return to the island, so they have very few belongings with them. They still have expenses and pets back in Victoria. Currently, they are staying at a hotel and are on a waitlist for Ronald McDonald House.

We don’t know what the future holds for the three of them. While we can’t alleviate all their stress, we can help ease the significant financial burden they are facing. The purpose of this is to support them through this emergent and life-altering time. The funds will be used for food, toiletries, gas, and various expenses, as neither of them will be able to work for the foreseeable future.