If I had a time machine, I would go back to January 27, 2026 when my life was seemingly perfect. But there’s no escaping the events of January 28th - the day my family forever changed.

My moms, Val & Toni, were heading to dinner when Toni began exhibiting stroke like symptoms. Val made a mad dash to the ER where Toni was diagnosed with a severe brain bleed. The next 5 days were nothing short of traumatic and a sheer nightmare as Toni fought for her life in the ICU - intubated and in a medically induced coma. Our prayers were answered on day 6 when the bleeding in her brain stopped and swelling subsided enough to bring her out of her coma. For the first time in nearly a week, Toni showed real signs of life and we were able to communicate with hand squeezing and eye blinking - something I never thought would be so meaningful.

Now Toni is in for another long fight as she relearns to walk and talk, as we navigate this hopefully temporary new normal as a family.

This crushing event is further compounded by the fact that Toni has been the sole provider for her and Val, after Val was affected by big tech layoffs in late 2025. Now, Val is transitioning from job seeker to care giver, unable to return to the workforce and in Texas, a state without a state-funded disability program.

Toni is the heart and soul of our family and we are completely devastated and living our worst nightmare watching our beloved mom, wife, grandparent (Gigi), and friend to all, struggle to do something as simple as raising her hand. It is our sincere hope that our family receives the much needed support in this time of overwhelming stress and uncertainty.