This fundraiser is on behalf of Jess to help cover unexpected medical bills following a hospital stay and recent diagnosis of a rare auto-immune disease, called Addison’s disease.

Jess is an absolutely sweetie. Kind, generous, and loving to everyone she meets. She is hardworking and one tough cookie.

On the morning of July 5th, Jess was very ill and unexpectedly had a seizure at home. She was taken to the hospital by EMS where she was immediately intubated as she was having trouble breathing on her own. She aspirated and as a result, became very sick with pneumonia. Jess was admitted with a sodium level of 108, which is the lowest the hospital nurses have seen in their career. Most patients with a sodium level under 120 do not survive. Jess was intubated and sedated for days. The hospital staff could not figure out what was wrong with Jess and had a difficult time correcting her levels. There was concern her brain would swell due to how sick she was.

After the 5th day of extensive life-saving measures and multiple tests, the doctors discovered Jess has a rare autoimmune disorder called Addison’s disease, that attacks the adrenal glands slowly over time. It was found that Jessica’s adrenal glands had died. The adrenal glands are important organs producing hormones necessary for survival, one of which is cortisol. Cortisol helps us fight off infections, manage stress, cope with shock, and retain salt in our bodies. We cannot live without cortisol. Jess does not make cortisol or other important hormones on her own and never will again.

Jess had gone to the doctor several times over the past 2 years complaining of increasing dizziness, fatigue, lightheadedness, weakness, low blood pressure, salt cravings, stomach pains, weight loss, and feeling hungry. Time and time again her doctors wrote off her concerns as normal for a young, thin female and could not find anything wrong with her. Jess had 2 surgeries for GI issues with no known cause last year. These symptoms progressively got worse and worse until her hospitalization.

Jess is now reliant on medication that she takes 4x a day. Addison’s comes with many complications and debilitating symptoms. Figuring out the right medication and treatment will require visits with a specialist her entire life.

Jess is a first-generation college graduate. She has spent her free time and career caring for others. As a social worker, Jess has coached children on the autism spectrum, supported families involved in the child protection system, provided therapy to those that have lost a loved one, and helped save the lives of others by facilitating organ donation. Jess finally quit her child protection job to start her own therapy business, which meant starting from scratch. Starting a business means she does not have PTO in the event of emergencies. Her health insurance has an extremely high deductible as she had to get it through the marketplace. Jess’s illness could not have come at a worse time.

As you may know, our health system is broken. While Jess and her family are extremely grateful to the hospital for saving her life, many procedures and doctor consults were not covered by insurance. Jess was hesitant to consent to a fundraiser and is grateful for even the smallest donation. Jess is hopeful she will manage this disease and will return to her passion for helping others and exploring the outdoors!