Greetings. On May 15th, 2023 Joel Bonnette was admitted to the ER with a severe case of pancolitis. So severe, in fact, doctors had to remove Joel's entire colon to save his life. But that was not the end. Days later, doctors discovered a bowel perforation in a piece of Joel's small intestine. On May 29th, surgeons reopened his abdominal cavity to patch the perforated area. We wish we could say that was the end of his challenges. A few days later, a fistula developed from the patch and began leaking back into the incision wound. In order to alleviate this problem, surgeons placed a wound vacuum over the affected area in the hopes that this will induce a full recovery. Joel is not out of the woods yet as he battles possible bacterial infection as well as the danger of developing new perforations, but we are praying he pulls through and is able to heal fully and rehabilitate.

To say that Joel and our family's physical and mental limits have been tested would be an understatement. And so too have our financial limits. Even though Joel has health insurance, high deductibles, out-of-pocket costs, and the extended amount of time he has had to spend away from work without pay now threaten to throw the family into financial hardship. As much as it pains us to ask, we would appreciate donations in any amount to help our family through these dire circumstances.

With love, and may God bless you all,

-The Bonnette's