April 24 Update: Jordan has started the long journey at the hospital!
There are moments as a parent that stay with you forever. For me, one of those moments was sitting in a hospital waiting room while my 13-year-old son was in a 14-hour brain surgery. No parent ever imagines watching their child be wheeled away for something like that. You hope, you pray, and you wait—trying to believe that everything will somehow be okay.
That first surgery removed a tumor that was directly on his brain, but it came with devastating side effects. My son lost vision in the right half of each eye. He developed speech aphasia and struggled with learning and processing. Later, a second surgery was needed to remove the rest of the tumor. During that procedure, he suffered a stroke that left the right side of his body paralyzed. Years later, he faced yet another brain surgery to remove his left hippocampus, which had stopped functioning. Watching your child go through something like this is something no parent is ever prepared for.
But if you know my son, you know that giving up has never been part of who he is. Through countless hours of physical therapy, occupational therapy, and emotional healing, he fought his way back from paralysis. Step by step, word by word, day by day, he rebuilt his life. He graduated from high school. He served a full-time mission for two years. He earned an associate’s degree. He fell in love, got married, and today he is the proud father of two beautiful children. His life is a testament to resilience, faith, and determination.
Today, however, he faces another difficult crossroads. Constant seizures are causing a noticeable cognitive decline, and his doctors believe the best path forward is a procedure called Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS). In simple terms, RNS is a small device placed in the brain that monitors activity and helps stop seizures before they fully occur. It offers hope that his seizures can be reduced and better controlled, giving him the chance to protect the abilities he has worked so hard to regain—and to continue being present for his wife and his two young children.
Our family has carried this journey for many years—emotionally, physically, and financially. We have done everything we can, but the reality is that the cost of surgery, hospital care, follow-up treatment, medications, travel, and time away from work has reached a point where we cannot do it alone anymore. That is why I am humbly asking for help. Any donation, no matter the size, will help support my son and his family as they face this next step. And if you’re unable to donate, sharing this page with others would mean just as much.
As a father, my greatest hope is simple: that my son can continue to be the husband and father his family needs and deserves. Thank you for taking the time to read his story. Your kindness, prayers, generosity, and willingness to share this page mean more to our family than words can express.