Please support Jacob's Fight! He's now rocking it in Rehab!

Dear friends,

I'm Laurie and I'd like to tell you about my friend, Jacob Owens. Jacob is 16 years old, incredibly smart, musical, athletic, artistic, is a devoted Navy football and basketball fan, and just happens to have Down Syndrome. Jacob has an awesome family: dad, Chris, is pastor at First Saints Community Church in Leonardtown and and plays bass and sings with Twist of Fate. Mom, Blairlee, is the Church Administrator at the church, sings with the Annapolis Chorale, Chamber Chorus and Cantori, all part of Live Arts Maryland, and volunteers with Lexington Park Volunteer Rescue Squad. Jacob also has two older sisters, Kathryn and Grace, as well as two fur siblings, labs Teagan and Nora.

I met Jacob right before his tenth birthday. His mom had been telling me how much he loved music and that he really loved to sing. She and I thought that it might be fun for me to teach Jacob how to play the piano. It was a wonderful experience for me, not just teaching him, but learning what a kind, funny, generous, and loving human being he is. Being around Jacob makes everything better.

I tell you about Jacob because we are asking for your help. On Sunday, February 2nd, Jacob wasn't feeling well. By Wednesday, February 5th, he had been diagnosed with influenza A and admitted to Children's National Medical center where he's been since. Jacob has been in the ICU since 2/5 fighting myocarditis, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Acute Kidney Injury, and two types of pneumonia. He is slowly improving, but will need to stay in the hospital a couple more weeks and may need quite a bit of rehab beyond that.

The Owens family has already incurred a lot of debt during these past several weeks and with each day that passes, the medical bills keep mounting. We are trying to help Jacob and his family with some of these expenses with this fundraiser.

We hope that you'll consider giving (even a few dollars would help!) and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts...and Jacob's, too. XXOO