Supporting Liam and Jeremiah Adams Medically Complex Journey

Hello Everyone,

I’m creating this GoFundMe for my close friend Julie, a loving and hardworking mom of four, whose family has just gone through a terrifying, traumatic, and life-changing medical crisis with her 3-year-old identical twin boys, Liam and Jeremiah.

On the morning of Wednesday, April 10th, their dad, Isaac, found both boys completely unresponsive in their room. He could not get them to wake up. The Sunday before that, just three days before, they had been acting fine. Energetic, playful, normal wild little toddlers. Monday, they started acing a little more sleepy than normal, but nothing that would raise a red flag. Tuesday, Julie started to worry a little that something might be wrong because they just wanted to sleep and would get agitated when she tried to wake them. She had text me that day and was telling me they just seemed so tired and she said she was going to take them to the pediatrician if they were still like that the next day. Being more tired than normal and a little more fussy than normal was the only thing that signaled that something was off. They never had a fever, no cough, no vomitting, or anything. Nothing could have prepared her for what they would be going through next.

While Julie was at work on Wednesday, she received a text from their dad telling her something was wrong with them. She asked him if she needed to leave work and he said yes. Then he sent her a message that made her heart stop. He sent “Julie, I’m afraid Jeremiah is about to die.”

They were rushed to the ER right after, she went as fast as she could and met them at the ER. The doctors informed Julie and Isaac that both of them were critically hypoglycemic (severely low blood sugar. It was so low, it wouldn’t even register on the meter. It was below 25) . They had metabolic acidosis. One of their blood pressures was only 42/12. Their kidneys and livers were failing. Their little bodies were shutting down fast. But the doctors couldn’t figure out what was going on. Flu, Covid, strep all negative. CT scan on their brain was normal. Chest X-ray was clear. Nothing made sense. the doctors did an eeg on their brain and then did a lumbar puncture. Those test would take a little longer to come back. The lumbar puncture did come back normal though. They moved the boys to icu late that night.

Julie and Isaac went through the worst time of their life over the next week. A big part of what happened that week is their story to tell when they’re ready. A couple of days later, they were told the eeg done in the emergency room showed they had metabolic encephalopathy. They tested positive for the rhinovirus ( which typically is just a cold). The doctors couldn’t figure out why they were so bad off. Eventually they started suspecting they may have a rare metabolic disorder or genetic disorder that was triggered by the rhinovirus. Thankfully the boys did recover enough to be able to go home. They now have to go see a genetics specialist in Jackson, MS. They also have to go to a neurologist at Le Bonheur in Memphis, TN. And many other specialist appointments in the future. If they do have what the doctor is suspecting, they have a very long and ongoing road ahead of them. And for right now, they just have to watch their boys like a hawk until they have the answers they so desperately need.

Julie and her family will be making frequent trips between their home and Jackson and Memphis for further testing and probable ongoing treatment. This is going to take a toll mentally, physically, and financially on them all.

Julie is one of the best people I know and she is by far one of the best mothers I know. we’ve been friends for over ten years now. She would give anyone the shirt off her back if they needed it. She’s always the one that people go to for advice, love, and support. She is selfless; always putting everyone else before herself. She is a super hero in my eyes. She is raising and supporting her family on just her own income. She owns her own small business and is amazing at what she does and stays busy with it. She juggles everything so amazingly well, I honestly do not know how she does it. I sure wouldn’t be able to. She’s already had to miss work since this has happened. Even before this happened her other two children have also been sick. Her 11 year old just recovered from strep and then Covid. Her 8 hear old is also probably about to have tonsillitis surgery. Now she is facing more missed work and financial burdens due to upcoming medical journey her family faces with the twins.

I decided to start a gofundme for her, despite her telling me not to (because anyone that knows Julie knows she’s also extremely hardheaded and while she would help anyone in this world in anyway she can, she will most of the time refuse help from others that offer). I cannot just sit back and watch my best friend that is already struggling so much emotionally and physically from what her and her family has already been through and what they still have to go through and not do anything to help. She deserves the world and all the support possible. Your support will help cover gas, hotel stays, and meals. It will help go towards the unpaid time off from work she is going to have to take. Bills unfortunately do not stop regardless of what horrible life event someone is going through. Your support will help go towards that. Her and her family are already going through so much, the last thing they need is to have to worry about getting behind on their bills and the stress that would come from that. It will help cover any medical expenses not covered by insurance. Because when it comes to rare diseases like this, they’re are typically a lot of things that insurance will not cover that is needed. It will help cover the ongoing medical costs that unfortunately comes with caring for not one, but two medically complex children.

If you’re able to donate, share, or simply send prayers, it means more than words can say. Julie and her family didn’t expect their lives to be turned upside down overnight, but of course Julie is handling it so much better than most people would be able to. Anyone that knows her knows that despite what her and her family have been through, she still has a smile on her face and is saying “It’s FINNNNNEEEE” to all of this (again, anyone that knows her well knows this is her signature saying no matter what she is going through )

Thank you in advance for whatever way you are able to support this beautiful family

Nichole

(on behalf of Julie, Isaac, Liam, Jeremiah, Colton, Lia, and Teagan)