Help JJ and his family!

Hello! We are starting this gofundme page on behalf of our friend Kim and her eleven-year-old son, JJ. In late June, JJ began having symptoms of viral meningitis. He did not improve as expected, so he was admitted to the hospital in early July. In the hospital, JJ was diagnosed with encephalitis as well as meningitis, and the hospital focused on reducing the inflammations and the swelling in JJ’s brain. During this time, the doctors determined that JJ had contracted both La Crosse virus and Enterovirus PCN (one or both from a mosquito bite) and his body was fighting off both viruses at once. To help JJ’s body fight the viruses and to stabilize is vitals, the hospital sedated JJ and worked on reducing the brain swelling.

After JJ’s brain swelling began to improve and his vitals had stabilized, the doctors discovered that JJ had suffered a stroke (likely due to the swelling in his brain restricting blood vessels). JJ is now awake and doing better than expected, but he will need extensive therapy to recover from the stroke. To learn more about JJ and his recovery, please see the facebook page devoted to giving updates on his condition: https://www.facebook.com/JJsUpdatesandInfo/

We had originally intended to start this gofundme page after JJ was better as a way to help JJ, his mom, and his brother go to Legoland once he recovered from the meningitis. However, given the challenges that JJ and his family face with his future therapies, we wanted to start it now to provide JJ's family with help to get him better so he can return to his life.

Any funds raised will go toward helping JJ's family while JJ is undergoing his therapies. JJ's therapies will likley require travel to and from rehabilitation facilities as well as associated costs with that travel. We are also hopeful that some of whatever is rasied will be available for JJ and his family to take that trip to Legoland once he is able to do so.

Any help received would be greatly appreciated, even if it is just good thoughts and kind words.