Support for Jasper James' Final Journey

Hi, my name is Suzie. On April 12, 2024, a precious boy came into our lives, & melted our hearts with his beautiful smile.

His name is Jasper James, and he's my great nephew.

While in the NICU, they noticed a murmur in JJ's heart. After doing an echo, they found that his heart & aortic valve was too small on the left side, so he was transferred to Dell Children's hospital and eventually received his first of several anticipated heart surgeries.

Although his mom, Theresa, wanted very much to take JJ home to see the nursery she'd lovingly prepared, she accepted a spot from the wonderful folks at Ronald McDonald House (RMHC). Theresa lives in Hutto, and that was just a little too far away from Dell Children's, if JJ needed help in a hurry.

So, Theresa and my sister Penny (Granny) moved into RMHC to care for JJ and await his next surgery. JJ was scheduled to have his 2nd surgery on Friday, August 23. He gave & received smiles daily, had mastered the side eye, learned to turn over, & had begun to speak in beautiful JJ babble. We looked forward to him finally being able to go home after recovering from his next heart surgery.

Sadly, that was not meant to be.

On Sunday, August 18th, less than a week away from his 2nd surgery, his mom was by his side when he suddenly stopped breathing. She called out to my sister who promptly called 911. They began CPR and desperately tried to revive him. Staff at RMHC helped. EMS & fire dept arrived & took over. They were eventually joined by numerous fire fighters, policemen, & staff from Dell Children's Hospital, who knew Jasper. They ran to him from the hospital next door. They continued CPR until he was admitted to the ER. We are so thankful to the many who helped.

About 45 minutes later, they had a heartbeat and Jasper was breathing again, with the assistance of the amazing doctors, nurses, and equipment at Dell Children's Hospital. Amazing staff kept him stable as his family surrounded him with love, & anxiously watched for signs of improvement.

We have desperately held on to that hope, but in a heartbreaking turn, we discovered that his brain scans are not showing activity in his brain. He is unable to breathe on his own, and he does not respond to stimulation. The doctors, nurses, and our family have done everything that can possibly be done. The news devastated us all.

Jasper brought so much joy into our lives in his 4 months of life, and letting him go brings a pain that is impossible to describe. Theresa has chosen to honor Jasper's too brief life by helping other families through the organ donor program.

At 11:45 today, they declared Jasper "gone." But he will remain on life support a few days longer to allow time for the donor team to give other children a chance at a better life. We find comfort in knowing that other families will be blessed in the midst of our loss.

We are in a weird place right now. He's still breathing. His heart still beats. He's still holding the stuffed fox I gave him, & looks like he is taking a nap. Theresa will continue to spend the night at the hospital. We'll say our final goodbyes in a few days when he goes to the OR for the last time.

Theresa works in a daycare where she lovingly cares for children of all ages, mainly pre-k. The pay isn't much and she has taken considerable time off from work for doctor's appointments and to care for her own child. Her work does not offer paid time off, bereavement time, or assistance with medical expenses.

The goal of this GoFundMe is to raise enough to help Theresa pay the bills that insurance does not cover, including his final expenses. If there's anything left over, it might allow Theresa time to find another career. As you can imagine, the thought of going back to the daycare is not any easy thing to contemplate right now.

If you are able to give, even a small amount, it is so greatly appreciated. Theresa barely made enough to keep afloat with Jaspers' many care needs, & traveling daily from Austin to Hutto for work. His sudden decline gave us little time to prepare for this unexpected outcome.

We are dealing with a lot at this time. Please understand if I/we can not immediately respond, or are unable to reply to all messages, though your loving support is very appreciated.

Thank you for all the prayers, love, and support that has been shown to our family.

Much Love,

Suzie Hawley & Family