Support for The Antunez Family: to help offset medical costs

Supporting JP’s Recovery and the Antunez Family

Dear friends and supporters,

We are Angela Hamilton, Trisha Link, and Tiffany Barber, and we’re setting up this GoFundMe to help support our best friend Jenny’s family, the Antunez family, during this incredibly difficult time.

Jenny’s husband, JP, has been hospitalized at Duke University since the weekend before Thanksgiving. Before arriving at Duke, JP began experiencing symptoms in late October and spent weeks going in and out of doctor’s offices and a local hospital near their home. Eventually, he was transferred to Duke, where he was diagnosed with an extremely rare and serious rhino-orbital-cerebral infection.

The incredible medical team at Duke is doing everything possible to treat JP, but his condition is complex, and his recovery will be long and challenging. Since his diagnosis, JP has undergone three brain surgeries, including a life-saving surgery on Christmas Eve. He has also suffered severe brain swelling, which caused neurological damage on two occasions, impacting his speech and the right side of his body.

Because this infection is so rare—with only a few documented cases in medical literature—there is no established treatment plan. JP’s care requires powerful medication administered in the hospital, as well as continuous monitoring, pain management, and lab work. The length of his hospital stay and his ongoing care needs remain uncertain.

Jenny has been by JP’s side throughout his hospitalization, while her parents have come from Michigan to care for their three children at home during the week, which is three hours away. On weekends, the kids travel with their grandparents to Durham to spend time with both Jenny and JP, providing some much-needed family connection during this challenging time.

Funds raised through this campaign will help the Antunez family secure a temporary apartment near the hospital, allowing Jenny and the children to stay closer to JP on weekends and providing a place for him to stay after discharge while undergoing critical monitoring. These funds will also help support other recovery-related needs, ensuring JP has the resources necessary to regain his health and quality of life.

While Jenny deeply appreciates the outpouring of love and support, she wishes to express that she feels uncomfortable with fundraising efforts on her behalf. However, understanding the community’s desire to help, we are focusing this campaign on specific needs to support JP’s comfort and the family’s logistical challenges.

If you’d like to support in other ways, JP would greatly appreciate heartfelt cards, uplifting thoughts, and prayers.

All funds will go directly to the Antunez family to help with medical and living expenses. Thank you for your kindness and generosity during this difficult time.

With gratitude,

Angela Hamilton, Trisha Link, and Tiffany Barber