Donation protected
This GoFundMe campaign is for two people I love more than anything; my sister Bente and my brother-in-law Jym, two of the kindest, most generous, and warmhearted people you would ever meet. And they need your help.
On a Friday night at the end of May 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Bente and Jym were relaxing at their home in Southern California when Jym—who has been a Type 1 Diabetic since he was a small child—suffered a sudden stroke. He was rushed to the hospital, where he spent almost a week in a respirator in the Intensive Care Unit. For a while, we didn't even know if he was going to survive. He was in the hospital for almost six weeks before he was transferred to a skilled nursing facility, where he is now undergoing extensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy, relearning how to walk, brush his teeth, feed himself, and speak in full sentences.
In the meantime, my sister Bente is at home, unable to visit her husband other than waving at him from outside the window of the facility due to coronavirus restrictions. She is working around the clock to try to cover rent and their regular bills, as well as an ever increasing pile of medical bills, all by herself. Even though they have medical insurance, the copay for his stay at the skilled nursing facility alone comes to more than 2,300 USD per month. We don't know how long he'll need to stay there for, but of course, his recovery is the most important part in all of this.
Bente and Jym don't often ask other people for help. They are hardworking, independent people, but this situation is beyond anything either of them have had to overcome before. I wanted to create a GoFundMe campaign for them, but it took my sister a few weeks to come around to the idea. One day, after yet another hospital bill showed up in the mail, she put her head in her hands, sighed deeply, and said: "OK. Maybe it's time."
So here we are. I know times are tough for all of you out there right now, but if you are able to donate anything at all—every single dollar helps—you have our deepest, most sincere gratitude.
Jym, who is originally from Pittsburgh, PA, is a brilliant man. Prior to his stroke, he had in just a few short years managed to start his own business and become an in-demand real estate appraiser, working all over Los Angeles and Ventura counties. He is also a great character actor and improv actor, a piano player, and a songwriter—among other things—and an integral member of his local dart team.
He met my sister a short time after she had moved from Sweden to the U.S., at a quirky live music venue in Los Angeles where we all went one evening. The two of them hit it off right away, and within weeks of them meeting, they were pretty much inseparable. They were both going through major changes in their lives at that time, and became each other's support system. It was amazing to see how they instantly became a team. Jym taught Bente how to drive, and once she got her license, he took her on road trips to show her around some amazing parts of her new home country. A year after they'd met, they got married in a small wedding chapel in Las Vegas. They were so happy. And I was so happy for them.
Fast forward 10 years, Jym is putting up the fight of his life trying to recover from his stroke, so that he can come back home to his wife. He is expected to make a full recovery, but it's probably going to be a long road. In the meantime, I'm hoping some of you will consider making a donation, to help relieve some of the stress my sister is currently under. August is also Jym's birthday month, and if we can all raise enough funds to cover the copay for his stay at the skilled nursing facility for this month, that would be amazing, and the best birthday gift ever—which he'll only hear about once he's safely back home, of course. If we can raise even more than the 2,300+, I will be over here doing a happy dance unlike anything you've ever seen!
Please consider making a donation. Thank you all for reading Bente and Jym's story, and thank you for your love and support. Much love to all.
Ann-Marita.
On a Friday night at the end of May 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Bente and Jym were relaxing at their home in Southern California when Jym—who has been a Type 1 Diabetic since he was a small child—suffered a sudden stroke. He was rushed to the hospital, where he spent almost a week in a respirator in the Intensive Care Unit. For a while, we didn't even know if he was going to survive. He was in the hospital for almost six weeks before he was transferred to a skilled nursing facility, where he is now undergoing extensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy, relearning how to walk, brush his teeth, feed himself, and speak in full sentences.
In the meantime, my sister Bente is at home, unable to visit her husband other than waving at him from outside the window of the facility due to coronavirus restrictions. She is working around the clock to try to cover rent and their regular bills, as well as an ever increasing pile of medical bills, all by herself. Even though they have medical insurance, the copay for his stay at the skilled nursing facility alone comes to more than 2,300 USD per month. We don't know how long he'll need to stay there for, but of course, his recovery is the most important part in all of this.
Bente and Jym don't often ask other people for help. They are hardworking, independent people, but this situation is beyond anything either of them have had to overcome before. I wanted to create a GoFundMe campaign for them, but it took my sister a few weeks to come around to the idea. One day, after yet another hospital bill showed up in the mail, she put her head in her hands, sighed deeply, and said: "OK. Maybe it's time."
So here we are. I know times are tough for all of you out there right now, but if you are able to donate anything at all—every single dollar helps—you have our deepest, most sincere gratitude.
Jym, who is originally from Pittsburgh, PA, is a brilliant man. Prior to his stroke, he had in just a few short years managed to start his own business and become an in-demand real estate appraiser, working all over Los Angeles and Ventura counties. He is also a great character actor and improv actor, a piano player, and a songwriter—among other things—and an integral member of his local dart team.
He met my sister a short time after she had moved from Sweden to the U.S., at a quirky live music venue in Los Angeles where we all went one evening. The two of them hit it off right away, and within weeks of them meeting, they were pretty much inseparable. They were both going through major changes in their lives at that time, and became each other's support system. It was amazing to see how they instantly became a team. Jym taught Bente how to drive, and once she got her license, he took her on road trips to show her around some amazing parts of her new home country. A year after they'd met, they got married in a small wedding chapel in Las Vegas. They were so happy. And I was so happy for them.
Fast forward 10 years, Jym is putting up the fight of his life trying to recover from his stroke, so that he can come back home to his wife. He is expected to make a full recovery, but it's probably going to be a long road. In the meantime, I'm hoping some of you will consider making a donation, to help relieve some of the stress my sister is currently under. August is also Jym's birthday month, and if we can all raise enough funds to cover the copay for his stay at the skilled nursing facility for this month, that would be amazing, and the best birthday gift ever—which he'll only hear about once he's safely back home, of course. If we can raise even more than the 2,300+, I will be over here doing a happy dance unlike anything you've ever seen!
Please consider making a donation. Thank you all for reading Bente and Jym's story, and thank you for your love and support. Much love to all.
Ann-Marita.
Organizer and beneficiary
Ann-Marita Garsed
Organizer
Thousand Oaks, CA
Bente Bjoerdal
Beneficiary