Hi everyone, this is Paige — Jared’s girlfriend.

On October 14, Jared had major surgery at OSU to reconstruct his urethra. He’d been struggling with a painful stricture, and this surgery was long overdue. The operation went well at first — doctors used grafts from his cheek and lip — and we thought recovery would take just a couple of weeks.

Unfortunately, things took a serious turn.

Within days, Jared’s pain worsened, he developed severe night sweats, and by October 26, he was running a high fever. We rushed to the OSU ER, where tests showed he had a serious infection and sepsis. He was taken into emergency surgery to clean out the infection and placed on a ventilator in the ICU.

Since then, he’s had multiple surgeries, another infection, and several days in the ICU. He’s now in a regular hospital room, but recovery is slow and uncertain. Doctors are monitoring his white blood cell count closely, and another surgery is scheduled soon.

Jared has already missed over three weeks of work, and it will likely be at least two more before he can return. I’ve been by his side at the hospital almost full-time, only working one shift since this all began. Between lost income, hospital bills, gas, and food expenses, things have become overwhelming.

His first surgery alone was expected to cost about $2,600 out of pocket, and this unexpected hospital stay — with multiple surgeries and ICU care — will be far more.

We aren’t people who usually ask for help, but this situation has taken a toll physically, emotionally, and financially. Every donation — no matter how small — will help us cover medical bills, food, gas, and basic living expenses while Jared recovers.

If you can’t donate, please consider sharing this page or sending prayers and kind thoughts. Your support means more than we can say.

Thank you all for taking the time to read our story and for caring about Jared. We’re staying hopeful and grateful for the amazing people around us. ❤️

— Paige