In July 2025, Jess and several of her children relocated to Cincinnati—marking their fifth move since losing their home in a 2024 house fire—so that her son, Truman, could participate in the Heart Program at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and receive specialized care at birth. Truman was born on August 4, 2025, and underwent his first open-heart surgery at one week old, followed by intestinal surgery at three weeks. Since then, he has had multiple procedures, including four major surgeries, two of which were open-heart.

During this time, Andy and their son Jefferson remained in Charleston, where Andy continued working for the City of Charleston and Jefferson helped run the family’s small business, Liberty Roe. Due to ongoing travel demands, the business closed in January 2026.

Truman still faces two additional surgeries, along with ongoing physical, speech, and occupational therapy. As the family can no longer maintain households in both cities, Jess is returning home with Truman and the other children. They are also still awaiting resolution with their insurance company following the loss of their home. In addition to continued travel to Cincinnati for Truman’s care, the family now faces the need to secure and furnish a new home.

I, Erica Hanna, am asking for continued community support for the Backus family during this challenging time. Their faith and resilience have remained steadfast throughout Truman’s journey. Our hope is to ease their financial burden so they can focus on caring for Truman and spending meaningful time together as a family.

Donations will go toward medical expenses, travel costs, housing needs, food and lodging, and necessary medical equipment for Truman’s care at home.

Thank you for your generosity and continued prayers for Truman and the Backus family.