Support Emilia's Journey to Regain Independence and Mobility

Update: May 2025

A lot has happened since the last update on Emilia’s recovery journey, so we’ll jump right in:

Discharge date extended (Emilia and Jen are practically Texans)

Emilia’s discharge date has again been pushed out, this time until mid-August. As always, this is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it means that Jen and Emilia will be separated from Jeff and Peter a little longer. In fact, the new discharge date is almost one year to the day since the girls went to Texas. On the other hand, it means that Emilia continues to make significant strides toward her recovery. More importantly, Emilia was the one who pushed for the latest extension. She is committed to staying as long as it takes.

Stronger and more independent everyday

She also received her third round of botox for her arm. Thankfully, this round was far more effective than the second one and has given her a little more mobility. In addition, Jeff and Jen were able to purchase (with the help of all of you who have been so generous) an e-stim that Emilia can wear all day for additional assistance.

Her balance has steadily improved, which has helped with a host of things. Among other things, she is beginning to regain independence with personal care tasks.

Emilia’s eyes are also getting stronger every day and have begun working together more frequently, which has reduced her bouts of double-vision and dizziness. The family is hopeful she will soon be able to forgo the prism on her glasses.

Emilia has also been crushing it in her weekly cooking class, making everything from chicken fettuccini alfredo and pizza to cinnamon sugar cheesecake bars and brownies. She also won second place in the Cinco de Mayo salsa contest at the ranch, with her fruit salsa churro chips recipe.

Venturing back out into the world

At the same time, Emilia is getting out in the world more and more.

Earlier this year, she and one of the Pate (rehab facility) aides participated in a 5k in recognition of Brain Injury Awareness Month. She also attended a couple of ball games by the Texas Rangers' minor league affiliate team and she and Jen have discovered the joys of bingo night. Not only that, the pair has turned thrifting into an art form. They spend a LOT of time scouring North Texas shops in search of Jen’s latest obsession – cowboy shirts.

Also, if there was any doubt of just how badass Jen is, just know that she killed a scorpion and a copperhead snake in the span on three days! She’s now waiting for the tarantulas to show up.

Home preparations for the new normal

Back in NH, the boys continue to plug along. Jeff recently finished switching Emilia’s bedroom and Jen’s office so that Emilia will be on the bottom floor instead of upstairs. He’s also in the final stages of planning the bathroom accessibility remodel to accommodate the new normal, which is largely possible because of how amazingly supportive everyone has been, so thank you.

The VanPelts are eternally grateful to everyone who has reached out, donated and kept them in their prayers. It's been almost a year, and it's been really tough. You've helped make it easier.

Major Update: March 2024

Christmas in the ICU, Continual Progress and Unavoidable Expenses

(It's a long update, but stick with us. Thank you. You are awesome.)

As mentioned previously, the VanPelt boys made it to Texas for Christmas. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite the magical experience they were hoping for. On Dec. 23, Emilia spiked a fever that peaked at 104 and refused to break, her heart rate rose dangerously high and her blood pressure dropped far below normal levels. Jeff and Emilia spent the entire night in the emergency room, Christmas Eve and part of Christmas Day before Emilia was moved out of ICU and into a step-down unit.

Jen and Peter were able to join them on Christmas and spent the rest of the week in the hospital by her side as she got massive doses of antibiotics and complained nonstop about how she didn't want to be there. In the end, the diagnosis was simply a virus coupled with the effects of one of her medications. Because Emilia’s body is already working so hard to heal itself, she just couldn't fight it. The VanPelts returned to the rehab facility beyond grateful for the gift of a benign diagnosis and the ability to spend the holiday together. The months since Christmas have been blessedly quiet but filled with progress.

The Uncomfortable Part to Talk About: Expenses

On top of medical bills that have soared into the seven digits (before insurance coverage and lots of digits still after insurance) just in the first month of the year, they are paying living expenses for two separate lives in two different corners of the country right now. The bills for treatment in the new year not covered by insurance have begun rolling in, and they are SIGNIFICANT.

Coming home has been delayed yet again, which is a good thing. Having Emilia's time extended means that her therapy team believes that she will continue to make progress. The fight's not out of Emilia, but the struggle of being so far from home weighs heavier with every passing day. Unbelievably, her discharge date has been pushed back to May 3, although the family half expects it to be pushed out further. When they left New Hampshire on Aug. 22, the VanPelts were planning on Jen and Emilia spending TWO months in Texas. The fact that their stay has already more than tripled is both a blessing and a burden: emotional, mental, physical, and, of course, financial.

Emilia's Progress

Emilia continues to work hard on gaining the strength and stamina to walk using a cane. She still requires assistance and can only tolerate short distances, but she makes progress every single day. She still struggles with right-side deficiency, which makes everything she does more difficult. She is still unable to use her right arm, but has adapted and can use her nondominant left hand to do just about everything. She's amazing.

How Is Texas?

Jen took Emilia to a local nail salon this week, where she got a much-deserved mani and pedi, which the nail tech was more than happy to adapt as needed so that she could remain in her wheelchair.

Spring is creeping its way into Texas. Jen has already gotten her first sunburn of the year and insists that some days have already been too hot but she is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the 20 or so types of hummingbirds that visit the state each spring. And she bought a sun hat and some sunblock.

Another resident at the ranch has lent the girls his car for the remainder of their stay in Texas, so they are able to go out and do things that we all take for granted now. Jen has never been happier to go to the grocery store and has fallen in love with H-E-B.

Seriously, Thank You

Thank you for your support as the VanPelts figure all of this out. Please continue to send your love, prayers and good vibes. And of course, as you saw from the expense section, financial support (no matter how small) would be greatly appreciated. The saying that "it takes a village" has never been truer than in moments like these.

Major Update: December 2024

It has been almost exactly five months since this life-changing event for Emilia and the VanPelt family. It has been a lot.

The VanPelts found out this week (11/22) that the rehabilitation facility, Pate has extended Emilia’s tentative discharge until at least late January (it had originally been mid-December). The news is a double-edged sword. Emilia misses her friends and wants to get back to her old life and, since Jen is in Texas with her, the family will have to spend even more time apart. Jeff and Peter continue to hold down the fort in New Hampshire, but the distance is wearing on everyone. Separation during the holiday season is especially hard. But Emilia is making significant enough progress that the facility feels she has more gains to make and should stay on. When she arrived in Texas on August 22, Emilia had difficulty holding a sitting position in a wheelchair; required the use of a lift to transfer from her wheelchair to her bed or the recliner; had to sleep in a hospital bed; didn't have the coordination to use or even hold her phone or tablet. She was a shell of herself.

This month Emilia has mastered being able to transfer from her wheelchair to her NOT HOSPITAL bed all by herself. This week she has spent hours of her free time using her returning fine-motor skills to work on a diamond art project. And today Emilia will share a "Patesgiving" lunch with her fellow Pate residents for which she herself (with a little help from her occupational therapist) prepared a pan of her favorite Thanksgiving side: sweet potatoes with crunchy maple granola topping. The progress is astonishing and more time in Texas to continue her hard work is a blessing.

The cost of progress

But, while a longer stay in Texas means Emilia can continue to crush goals, it also means additional costs for living expenses, groceries, random Door Dashes, personal items and, hopefully, a visit from Jeff and Peter for Christmas, not to mention continuing medical costs. As such, we’ve decided to increase the financial goal to help offset some of the costs for living expenses, medical care and travel.

If you can help out, that would be amazing. Thank you to everyone who has donated so far. Your support is truly the reason Emilia is able to receive the care she needs to keep moving forward.

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Dear Friends, Family, and Kindhearted Strangers,

We are reaching out to ask for your support for Emilia, whose life has been turned completely upside down.

What happened?

Immediately following a Lana Del Rey concert at Fenway Park in late June with her dad, Emilia suffered a hemorrhagic stroke. No one should have to see their child inexplicably unconscious while trapped in a crowded parking garage, with no cell service.

By sheer luck, blessing, or good karma, Emilia was a few blocks away from a top-notch hospital in Boston, where she received immediate care. She (and her parents) spent five very challenging weeks in a hospital two hours from home.

What’s next?

After fighting off multiple infections on top of the hemorrhagic stroke, Emilia had a stomach tube placed and was released for rehabilitation close to home. Following the initial three weeks at rehab, the insurance company will only cover a continuation of her critically needed therapy at a facility in Texas. Not ideal given the distance from home, but it is necessary in order to give this girl the best chance possible of living a normal life like the one she had just two months ago.

How is it going?

Emilia has been working like crazy during her three weeks at the rehabilitation facility close to home. Despite her amazing efforts, she still cannot feed herself or walk, nor can she stand on her own. She has made strides in verbal communication but has not fully regained her speech. For perspective, in the blink of an eye, Emilia went from singing her lungs out at a concert to softly slurring and fighting to be understood. But she’s not giving up.

At 18 years old, Emilia should be gearing up for her second year of college, exploring her future, helping her brother navigate his first year of high school and figuring out who she is during this pivotal stage of life. Instead, she’s focused on the fundamental goal of just standing up on her own.

How you can help

The VanPelt family, known for their generosity and selflessness, would never ask for assistance themselves. However, we know they would give anything to see Emilia regain her independence and mobility. They are down to one income for the foreseeable future so Emilia’s mom, Jen, can focus on helping with her daily recovery.

We are raising funds to cover the transportation costs for Emilia’s trip between New Hampshire and Texas (including that of her mom, who will be accompanying her for the duration) as well as the extensive expenses related to her previous and future care. Any contribution, no matter how small, will help the family concentrate on what truly matters: Emilia’s recovery and her journey back to the life she deserves. Your generosity will make a world of difference as she navigates this challenging road to recovery.

If you would like to give directly, you can do so via Venmo to @Jeff-VanPelt-8.

Thank you for your kindness and support. Please keep Emilia in your thoughts and prayers and keep the good vibes coming.