Benny Sorrell Family Assistance Fund

Hi, my name is Jennifer Sorrell Pressnell. I come to you trying to get assistance for my only brother and his family during a time of ongoing medical need. My brother is Benny Sorrell and he is married to his beloved wife of 27 years, Heather Pinion Sorrell. Benny and Heather have one daughter, Hannah (20) and live in Hayden, Alabama. My brother has Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease. Benny is only 50 years old and was diagnosed at 42. Benny recently underwent a 2nd DBS (Deep Brain Stimulation) surgery to try and manage some of the debilitating conditions Parkinson’s Disease has had on his body. Benny lives with daily chronic pain, cognitive difficulties including memory loss, balance and gait issues, difficulty swallowing and digestive issues as a result of the Parkinson’s Disease.

Benny has been able to work full time up to this surgery despite the complications from Parkinson’s Disease, though it makes many things very difficult. As of now, he is unable to return work for 6 weeks and issues have arisen relating to financial needs. The treatment team and program he is a part of at UAB are wonderful. The surgery is decided upon by a board and the date is ‘given to you’ so to say, limiting the ability to make many preparations prior to such surgery. His recovery is progressing fairly well, but a few new challenges have come up this time around. The pain has been greater and the memory loss/brain fog seem to be more prominent this time. His team is optimistic about his recovery and the outcome but time will tell how successful the final results will be.

To be completely transparent, the money raised to assist Benny and his family will be used for basic needs such as food, housing, utilities, etc. He did not have the PTO(paid time off) to cover this surgery, so special arrangements needed to be made. This surgery is the only treatment option available at this time to improve the daily life of a Parkinson’s patient. His wife, Heather, is now his full time caregiver while also caring for her elderly father currently in poor health. Hannah is working part time to help support the family, but is also in school.

I want to help by asking others to assist them during this health crisis.