Jared's Survival Fund
Donation protected
ADHD, OCD, ODD, Extreme Anxiety, possibly Austistic ... how many diagnoses can be thrown out to a young boy at the age of 13? Jared, now 24, has been struggling to survive in a world that has never known what to do with him for as long as we can remember.
We are finally finding some great support and needed resources for Jared, but we are also struggling. We are looking for monetary support to buy us the time we need to get him on Disability. Something to help us manage his tests, co-pays, doctor visits, food, clothing, and housing.
Jared went from crawling to running at the age of 1. He became interested in soccer at the age of 3, and became one of the better soccer players in our area throughout his middle and high school years. Something happened his Senior Year that would change his world forever; he had his first onset of mental illness. He was diagnosed with Bi-Polar Disorder.
We as parents had no understanding of what that even meant; all we knew is that our happy-go-lucky young boy was in the worst kind of turmoil we could ever imagine. He would sleep for days and never leave his room, or would be up for days and never seem to come down.
In attempts to try to find support, help, and answers, we took him to hospitals across Central Pennsylvania and down into Maryland. He's been to John Hopkins, Hershey, and Bethesda. He's been to clinics, therapists, phyciatrists, medical centers, emergency rooms ... This new "crazy world" now occupied our home and our lives. It was an endless cycle of therapy, medication, therapy, medication, new therapy, new medication ... on and on.
When Jared graduated from high school (which took many of my hours to make sure that happened) we had to have him leave our house. He lives in motels, and apartments; we pay for the copays on his medications, the doctor's visits, his food, and his transportation to jobs. Jared tries to work and help out with the expenses but his anxiety is crippling.
We have been fighting this for now 5 years, and we are finally on a path to getting him disability!
But the money is also running thin, and Jared is now staying at a cheap motel after staying a week in a Homeless Shelter. Because of the fear and anxiety of being there, we had to find a quick place to place him. I can't have my son live on the street and I can't have him back in my home.
We now have a case worker to help us, and Jared will be working with a job coach in the next couple months. Jared will also be having a Neuropsyche Test performed to determine his intellectual capabilities along with hopefully, finally getting him diagnosed properly.
We are not sure how much any of this will cost but some help is better than no help. We are finally seeing a little light and are optimistic that the future will be brighter.
Mental Illness is a disease that unfortunately is hard to understand and has been neglected and not talked about for years. My life long dream is to be an advocate and to someday have a place for people to go and to feel safe and cared for .
Someday, It will be payed forward.
We are forever grateful,
The loving Parents of Jared Winters
We are finally finding some great support and needed resources for Jared, but we are also struggling. We are looking for monetary support to buy us the time we need to get him on Disability. Something to help us manage his tests, co-pays, doctor visits, food, clothing, and housing.
Jared went from crawling to running at the age of 1. He became interested in soccer at the age of 3, and became one of the better soccer players in our area throughout his middle and high school years. Something happened his Senior Year that would change his world forever; he had his first onset of mental illness. He was diagnosed with Bi-Polar Disorder.
We as parents had no understanding of what that even meant; all we knew is that our happy-go-lucky young boy was in the worst kind of turmoil we could ever imagine. He would sleep for days and never leave his room, or would be up for days and never seem to come down.
In attempts to try to find support, help, and answers, we took him to hospitals across Central Pennsylvania and down into Maryland. He's been to John Hopkins, Hershey, and Bethesda. He's been to clinics, therapists, phyciatrists, medical centers, emergency rooms ... This new "crazy world" now occupied our home and our lives. It was an endless cycle of therapy, medication, therapy, medication, new therapy, new medication ... on and on.
When Jared graduated from high school (which took many of my hours to make sure that happened) we had to have him leave our house. He lives in motels, and apartments; we pay for the copays on his medications, the doctor's visits, his food, and his transportation to jobs. Jared tries to work and help out with the expenses but his anxiety is crippling.
We have been fighting this for now 5 years, and we are finally on a path to getting him disability!
But the money is also running thin, and Jared is now staying at a cheap motel after staying a week in a Homeless Shelter. Because of the fear and anxiety of being there, we had to find a quick place to place him. I can't have my son live on the street and I can't have him back in my home.
We now have a case worker to help us, and Jared will be working with a job coach in the next couple months. Jared will also be having a Neuropsyche Test performed to determine his intellectual capabilities along with hopefully, finally getting him diagnosed properly.
We are not sure how much any of this will cost but some help is better than no help. We are finally seeing a little light and are optimistic that the future will be brighter.
Mental Illness is a disease that unfortunately is hard to understand and has been neglected and not talked about for years. My life long dream is to be an advocate and to someday have a place for people to go and to feel safe and cared for .
Someday, It will be payed forward.
We are forever grateful,
The loving Parents of Jared Winters
Organizer
Jennifer K-Algard Wilt
Organizer
Camp Hill, PA