Join Josiah's Journey to Health and Strength

Josiah got sick with a viral upper respiratory infection around October 15, 2024. He progressively got worse, and the week of October 21, he had multiple visits to the ER and was admitted for severe dehydration. We got admitted on the night of October 23 to Rust. Josiah started to get worse, and by Friday the 25th at 4:30 pm, he was unable to speak clearly and suffered paralysis from the waist down. And with that, he lost his bodily functions. We got sent to Presbyterian downtown Saturday morning, and many tests began. As of 10/31/24, what we know is that Josiah had Mycoplasma pneumonia and got treated for that; he has Meningoencephalitis and a very rare condition called Acute Flaccid Myelitis. Results are still pending, but the possible cause the doctors are pretty sure he has is West Nile. He has a very long road ahead of him. There is a possibility he may not be able to return to school this year, which is heartbreaking as Josiah was very involved in school athletics and was on the basketball team and track team. At this time, he still has weeks of supportive care to get him better. Then, he will be admitted to a long-term inpatient rehab where he will undergo approximately three hours a day of physical therapy along with occupational therapy. At this time, we aren’t sure where that will be. There is a possibility we could go to CO, but discussions about that placement will come as Josiah gets stronger. We have a long road ahead of us, but Josiah is a fighter, so I’ll fight right alongside him!!

As Ara will need to be out of work for several months to attend to his every need. We are asking the family and friends to come together and support her whenever possible. Everyone who knows Ara recognizes her as a caring woman—whether as a mom, daughter, sister, niece, cousin, friend and a wonderful nurse. She needs our support now more than ever!