Brian's Medical & LIfe

As the year draws to a close and we are all enjoying special time with family & friends I want to express how fortunate I feel to have the family & friends that are in my life.  Our family has had their share of trials & tribulations (we will call them) this year.  I am happy to say we have survived them with a stronger more compassionate love & understand of what each of us tackle in our daily lives. 

Unfortunately, this family has one more struggle to get through this year and as we've been told this will carry over in to 2017.  Brian Jr as most of you know; I have always called him my "heart baby" or my "million dollar child" has another significant medical struggle ahead of him.  Brian has a congenital heart defect and the best way to explain it is his heart is backwards and the jobs that each side of his heart is supposed to do work the opposite.  Brian started his life out only knowing pain & struggling to breathe; in the first six months of his life he had two cardiac caths and then finally open heart surgery when he was six months old.  He then went on for several years on medications and needless to say many, many doctor visits.  Then in his adolescent & recent years he had been doing very well, until now.

Brian has a combined family with Andrea Jewett; they were married on August 16, 2014.  Andrea has one son Gage, thirteen.  Brian has two children MaKayha & McKohy, ages eight and five and now together they have identical twin sons Oakley & Jace, 20 months.

A recent physical for Brian raised concerns with his heart so they started on an agenda full of tests.  Results were a little heartbreaking; they meant some things needed to be done for Brian.  His heart is only working at 26% this is VERY LOW and just not good.  On December 13th he has to have a special made for him 3 wire pacemaker placed to help his heart restore a correct and healthy rhythm for him.  He has a leaking valve that will need attention but the doctors are tackling one problem at a time.

Brian is a welder by trade and he truly enjoys his profession.  He works for A&B Process Systems in Stratford, the town he and his family lives in.  With an pacemaker you should not weld at least not to the levels one needs to in his profession.  He was very emotional the last night he walked out of work taking time to look back knowing when and if he can return to work he will likely not be a welder. 

Brian's family is first & foremost the love of his life but he has a passion for welding; making something with his hands.  He has a hobby of making items from pallets. i.e wine racks/displays, etc.  Brian has a second hobby and that is truck pulling; he currently pulls the truck MIGRAINE owned by father Brian Sr. this is a family sport; we do this together kids and all!

As Brian's mother as I write this I know all too well the hardships Brian and his family are going to face in the next year or maybe even beyond.  The family does have medical insurance and disability insurance through Brian's employment; however he is the primary source of income for this family.
Brian & Andrea's twins were preemies so it was decided due to the health problems many preemies have in their first few years of their lives that Andrea would stay at home with them.  Also in early 2016 Andrea's mom was hit by a drunk driver and paralyzed so Andrea is her primary caregiver.  As you can see this and other events of 2016 have been challenging for this family.

I would anticipate that any donations received would help with the medical bills that are piling up and to help the family make ends meet during the time that Brian is off from work.

As we have told many family & friends what is and will be going on in Brian's future; starting a GoFundMe was suggested and I hear the response "if there is anything we can do please let us know".  When I approached Brian & Andrea about this they were a little reluctant; Brian's pride of providing for his family on his own held him back.  I explained to him that many people want to help it is the nature of the loving, caring family & friends that we have surrounded ourselves with BJ and by allowing us to do this gives people a way to show you our support.  So thank you from the bottom of our "hearts" for caring & giving.