On July 16, Jo was admitted to the ER at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown, WV, with symptoms of liver inflammation, including yellow eyes & skin, exhaustion, low appetite, weight loss, mental confusion, and balance issues. She received good care from WVU Medicine until July 27, when she was transferred to Cleveland Clinic for further evaluation from their pro team of liver specialists. After a very challenging couple of weeks, on August 8, Jo was finally well enough to be released from Cleveland Clinic.

We’re so happy for Jo to be home. She’s resting up to regain strength and receiving in house PT to work on mobility, with renewed focus on good nutrition as she’s thankfully been getting her appetite back. We’re also both alcohol free since the end of June, which is a welcome and necessary lifestyle change. Though we’re not out of the woods yet, we’re feeling cautiously optimistic about Jo’s continued recovery, with commitments for follow up trips to Cleveland Clinic this fall and beyond to continue monitoring her health.

As we’re catching our breath now that Jo’s condition is improving, we’re figuring out what insurance will cover, and the bag we’re left holding is the challenge, as Jo’s healthcare costs incurred for over three weeks in two hospitals is really adding up. Adding in gas and vehicle maintenance for driving back and forth to Cleveland, all of this promises to be a tremendous financial burden for our family, which is why we are asking for your help.