Support Jona's Hospital Stay and Family Needs

As many of you know, our family has been on quite a journey with our young son, Jona. Last Friday (January 17th), we found ourselves at the emergency room at Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, following the strict advice from our local medical team. After 14 hours, he was admitted at 4 AM.

Since September, we’ve been facing a level of crisis with Jona that could not be managed at home by just myself, Beth and Jase any longer.

Jona has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder, several other comorbidities , and relies on a feeding tube for nutrition and medication management. He thrives on routine, and a series of changes outside of our control has escalated his behaviors to a degree of dysregulation where medical professionals needed to intervene and rule out any medical and psychological barriers. He is a medically complex child and does not present typical. As a result, it’s been an incredibly challenging time for our family. Beth has taken a leave from her work as an independent contractor to care for him, while I am juggling working remote and assisting when I can, along with Jase and other caregivers that can support when they can.

Jona has been inpatient since January 18th, and because of his age, we’ve been granted special accommodations to visit frequently, assist with his feeding, and stay involved with his routines. However, the Ronald McDonald House is at capacity, so we’ve been staying at a nearby hotel to be as close as possible during this difficult time.

Several people have reached out asking how they can help, and right now, the most pressing need is assistance with the unexpected medical, meals, and lodging costs. If you’d like to support us during this time, any contribution, no matter how small, would be greatly appreciated. Alternatively, sharing this post would also be appreciated.

We are truly grateful for the love and support we’ve received from friends and family throughout this journey. It’s been a long tough road, but we continue to feel strengthened by the “village” around us.