Yesterday, my husband Shawn, a healthy, active 45-year-old father of three, underwent emergency open-heart surgery.

What began as unexpected health symptoms during an already demanding season of life quickly became life-threatening. Shawn was experiencing previously undiagnosed severe mitral valve prolapse (MVP), which required urgent surgical intervention. In a matter of days, our family went from managing everyday life and moving into a new house to navigating this totally disruptive medical crisis.

We are profoundly grateful that Shawn’s condition was caught in time, that skilled surgeons were able to intervene, and that surgery offers hope for a full recovery. But while this surgery saved his life, it has also intensified one of the most challenging seasons our family has ever faced.

In just the past few months, our family has been navigating an extraordinary season of transition. After receiving sudden notice that our rental home was being sold, we faced an unexpected housing upheaval that ultimately led to purchasing our first home. This is something we are deeply grateful for and still celebrating -- but it came after weeks of instability, financial stretch, and rebuilding. At the same time, Shawn is entering a new season as a filmmaker, and I just started a new job leading a nonprofit. We have been working hard to establish stability in the middle of so much change.

Only weeks after finally moving into our first home, we learned that the health issues Shawn had been experiencing through all of this were caused by a serious heart condition that had gone undiagnosed until it became an emergency.

In three months, our family has navigated a new career, a new job, a new home, and now, a renewed heart.

Shawn had recently made a courageous shift into filmmaking, pursuing creative work he deeply loves and beginning to build real momentum in this new chapter. We were in the middle of planning the release of our first mini-documentary series when this hit. Recovery from open-heart surgery means months of healing and limited physical capacity. As a filmmaker, his work depends on energy, stamina, mobility, and the ability to handle equipment, all of which will be temporarily out of reach while he heals.

Like many families, we work hard to support our household, care for our children, and build a meaningful future. During a season of major career transition and rising healthcare costs, we were also caught in an unexpected insurance gap when this medical emergency occurred. Right now, we are balancing caregiving, parenting, recovery, and financial uncertainty while doing everything we can to keep our family grounded through this chapter.

Support from our community will help us navigate:

• Medical bills, surgery, and ongoing cardiac care

• Household expenses during reduced income and recovery

• Follow-up appointments, rehabilitation, and travel costs

• Stability for our children and family during a season that has already asked us to carry a great deal

This fundraiser is about giving our family breathing room while Shawn focuses on healing and we adjust to a dramatically changed season. We are hopeful. We are so grateful for the family and community that has already surrounded us with prayer and care. We believe in a full recovery. And we know we will get through this, but support right now can make a tangible difference in helping us do so with greater stability and less strain.

If you feel led to give, share, or pray, thank you. Your support helps carry our family through one of the most challenging and transformative seasons we’ve ever faced. We know that when it's all over, we'll be stronger for it -- and have another great story to tell!