<div>Dear friends and family,
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<div>I am reaching out for support to help my family and me cover my father's monthly expenses following his stroke in November. Since my dad no longer has an income, my mom and I have been depleting our savings to cover his bills for car, phone, insurance, therapy, etc. My parents have been divorced since I was young, and my mom has been helping me all this time with what she can. Between my full-time schooling and her 40+ hour weeks at work, we have stretched ourselves as thin as we can while maintaining our own expenses. <strong>Every donation, no matter the amount, and share will help my mom and I better support my dad at this crucial time in his life.</strong> If you’re unable to donate, please consider sharing my dad's story with your friends, family, and community.
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<div><strong>Background</strong>
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<div>On November 5th, 2024, at 2 pm, my dad, Jonas (49), was found unresponsive in his truck by a friend of his. My dad was rushed to the ER where it was discovered that he had suffered from a stroke, causing a large blood clot in the left hemisphere of his brain. The original prognosis given at the time was that my dad wouldn't be able to 1) move without a wheelchair, 2) speak and understand language, and 3) regain function of the right side of his body. My dad remained in the ICU for about two weeks, which was followed by nearly a month in the hospital's Brain Trauma Unit. Since December 20th, my father has been moved to a nursing home in East Orange where his health continues to deteriorate until I am able to secure Medicaid to move him to a more attentive facility. Throughout this process, my dad has made tremendous progress in each of his therapies (physical, occupational, and speech). Despite his initial diagnosis, my father has been able to 1) walk short distances, 2) understand what is being said to him, 3) use his right leg (with little difficulty), and 4) say short words like "no." He still has a long way to go but my family and I have been trying to stay hopeful.
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/88873699_1741057761625759_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div>(My dad and my godfather)
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/88873699_1741057807637749_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div>(My dad in Brazil with friends years ago)
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/88873699_1741057837561985_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div>(Me [left], my dad [center], and my childhood best friend [right])
</div><img alt="" media_type="3" src="https://d2g8igdw686xgo.cloudfront.net/88873699_1741058115787610_r.jpeg" width="100%" />
<div>(My dad and I in Hawai'i last year)
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Taffy Mbithi

Anonymous

Luciana Santos

Juliane Araujo

Sabrina Cruz

Adao Conceicao

Brent Smith

Alva Lai

Nataly Zelaya

Neda Sayyed

Marc Welling

Tyler Howe

Hayden Nachtigal

Dominick Gino

JOHNNY GORDON

Anthony Taylor

Mia Hernandez

Support Jonas's Stroke Recovery Journey

Support Jonas's Stroke Recovery Journey

Still $12,165 to go. Help us build momentum.