Jacob is a sweet and loving 7-year-old boy who loves sports, video games, and being an awesome brother. He has a spirit like no one else, being able to make just about anyone laugh and smile at his antics.

Recently, Jacob went to a normal vision check-up appointment where the doctor noticed something off about little Jake's optic nerves. From there, it has been a whirlwind of hospital stays, testing and imaging, a bunch of scary words with even scarier outcomes, and a whole lot of bravery on Jacob's part. Jacob has been diagnosed with craniosynostosis, Chiari malformation, and papilledema. Due to this, Jacob needs to receive emergent surgery to try to decrease his intracranial pressure called a cranial vault remodeling (CVR) or he could lose his vision, along with a lot of other complications.

This has come as a surprise to everyone and has placed a certain financial strain on the family due to traveling back and forth to Pittsburgh and missing work to do so. Jacob did not start talking until he was 4 years old and still struggles with speech delays, comprehension, reading, and writing, and has been in special programs in school to help him since kindergarten. These medical conditions were never discovered until a month ago but have had an (unknowing) impact on Jake's life.

We are asking for a small amount of support, even a few dollars, to help our family take on this new journey and not become consumed by medical and travel expenses. Our goal is to focus on Jacob and our other children's needs without worrying about the financial burden that complex medical conditions can bring. You never think it could happen to you or your family, until it does. And while we grapple with the sudden life changes, we ask to keep Jacob in your thoughts. Thank you to everyone for taking the time to read this and for your support!

Update 12/16/25: Jacob will be getting his surgery on 12/22/25, so he will be in the hospital for Christmas