Joel Reznicek Family Medical Fund

My name is Shelbi Smith l am Julia Reznicek’s step sister and Joel’s aunt. Please take your time to read Joel’s story and please consider donating any amount that is within your capacity and I promise you it will mean more to the Reznicek family than you could ever comprehend.

Families aren’t something that just pop up out of thin air. Families are built with dedication, giving, compassion, patience, and love. They are fought for in the bad times and celebrated in the good. Whether it is blood kin, work relations, or friends, families evolve from trying, caring, and communicating. The Reznicek’s are a dedicated and loving family of five and their son and brother, Joel, is a cherished testament to this amazing family.

Joel came into this world in a BIG way! He was born an active 10 pounder with a big appetite, and even though as he grew older his appetite subsided, his heart grew even bigger. If one were to describe Joel in a few words it would be “what a very sweet, SWEET little boy!” The smile that is consistently plastered on his face is wholesomely attractive, which makes loving him the only thing you want to do. Being active and and energetic are also big parts of Joel’s life. He loves anything with tires and an engine: trains, dump trucks, graders, buses and toy cars. And helping dad mow the lawn is another excellent opportunity for an activity involving things with motors and wheels. You can imagine how delighted Joel is to assist while also realizing how helpful he is to his parents John and Julia. Joel loves his mama; one thing Joel loves doing with his mom is drawing pictures, they have spent many wonderful hours drawing together. When Joel isn’t using his landscaping skills, he is usually found rough housing with his brother Jayden (8), riding a 4wheel ATV on the trails that his dad blazed for the kids, and having sleepovers with Geekoo, aka Grandma Caralee, and watching hours of Paw Patrol or playing in her backyard. There was never a dull moment for Joel.

Never a dull moment indeed. Over the past couple of years, Joel had a preponderance for getting sick a bit more often than his brother and sister, however this did not slow him down and he continued to be an active little boy. But on April 23, on his sister, Jovie’s, Third birthday, Joel had not been feeling well for a couple days, he maintained an appearance at the party for a while, but eventually succumbed to his exhaustion and went to bed. Later that night after the party was over John and Julia had heard Joel vomiting, they decided that they would take shifts with him and let him sleep on the couch to keep a closer eye, around 1 AM things suddenly got worse and Joel started shivering and hallucinating, they called 911, Joel and his mother were rushed by ambulance to the emergency department of sacred heart hospital where he eventually went into a coma and was put on life-support. Since that night, Joel has been at the ICU at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital enduring a coma among other issues. He was eventually able to come off life support and breathe on his own, but it has been discovered that Joel has an extremely rare genetic disease, Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy, or ANE - Type 1. This disease was first thought to only be found in Asian children, but it has now moved on to other parts of the world, including the United States. There have only been 59 case studies in the US when it was first discovered here in 1995. No specific treatment or preventative method has been determined for this disease and it has a poor prognosis, with less than 10% of complete recovery generally expected in the patients. Most of them experience rapid neurologic decline and death. Although the etiology remains vague, Influenza A and B are the most common infections associated with the disease, creating a type of spark that activates ANE. Joels future maybe unclear, but we must hold onto the hope that miracles do happen and know, however senseless it may be, that life will work out as it is meant to.

The challenges that Joel has endured over the past few weeks would not be the same without the love and support of his family. John and Julia have been by his side nonstop, sacrificing whole heartedly for their little-big boy. The physical and emotional toll becomes greater with every moment, but John and Julia‘s commitment to their family and son shines through and exudes inspiration. There is a long road ahead of them, filled with challenges and the unknown. The longer this road carries on, the more help from others is needed. We need to show the Reznicek’s the family we can be to them and step up to offer any help we can give.

Often times when those around us experience a difficult or tragic situation we ask ourselves parentheses “Well, how can we help?” this can be a difficult question to answer. What do they need? What are the circumstances that might influence how I decide to help? Should I direct my help to the one going through the situation or is it better lending aid to their support system? Sometimes the answer to this can be intuitive and easy. Other times we need to assess what is in our capability and capacity to do for others. In a climate where healthcare can financially devastate so many, sometimes the answer is to simply give a monetary amount to allow an individual, and their support system, to pay their most critical expenses. It doesn’t always feel like giving a fiscal donation is going to make any difference, or perhaps isn’t substantial enough, but it is an absolute blessing to reduce the burden and worries that come with mounting medical costs. This can mean the world to someone who needs help, and in this case, the Reznicek’s.

i’ll leave you with this, when Joel grows up he wants to be a fireman. And that right there is a statement of who Joel really is: a little man with big passions and an even bigger heart. It’s also a testament to his family, who have built him up, supported him with all their heart and might, and fight for his every breath. That’s love. That’s FAMILY.