Donate to Aid Jillian, Ryan, and Baby Banks

Many of you on this page know me as Carolyn Sammartino, but to a very important few I’m known as Mom, Mama, and Meemaw. Many of you also know my daughter Jillian, Ryan and baby Banks.

Six months ago this little family moved from an apartment complex in Denver where safety and finance was a concern. An upstairs tenant always under the influence of “something” in one instance caused flooding throughout Jillian and Ryan’s apartment, thankfully not starting a fire, and the cost of rent climbing every year. We made a family decision to put a down payment on a house in Colorado Springs for Jillian and Ryan in lieu of paying for a large wedding. We all still agreed this was a responsible decision.

Since the move in April, it took Jillian a few months driving DoorDash to help pay bills, she found an office job and an in-home daycare for Banks just a few minutes away. Ryan has been working non-stop waiting tables at 2 jobs to support his family.

This came to a halt a few weeks ago. Ryan was notified his medical insurance was cancelled the day before he was scheduled for surgery to remove a growth from his bladder. Feeling it was most important to get this surgery, he kept the appointment. They removed it and administered a dose of chemo. He took a week off of work to recover. When you wait tables if you don’t work, you don’t get paid.

Four days ago Ryan went back to work. He was there for 5 minutes when he got the call from Jillian that baby Banks had a seizure at day care, his daycare provider had driven him to the fire station down the street. Jillian met them there, as first responders had him on oxygen and were transporting them via ambulance to Children’s Hospital. While working to determine the cause of the seizure and Banks’ sugar levels spiking and plummeting, Ryan and Jillian have not left the hospital. An endocrinologist and gastroenterologist are the next possible steps for baby Banks.

While Meemaw is here in Colorado supplying coffee, food and support, Jillian is working to get donated PTO so she doesn’t lose pay, and Ryan is not working, so not earning money to pay their regular household bills or the impending bladder surgery bill. Ryan has his follow-up appt this week to determine further treatment for his medical situation.

At this point they are working to get Ryan onto Jillian’s health insurance, but with the cancellation of Ryan’s the day before surgery, they had no time to make that happen. Everything happened too fast and is now snowballing. The health insurance situation is just confounding!

Added to this, Ryan’s father is suffering from stage 4 lung cancer in Florida and is in the very late stages. We are expecting Ryan to receive a call to come to Florida in the very near future. Lost time at work, and no pay again.

Ryan’s surgery bill, will most likely be in the range of $8,000. Adding to this the anesthesiologist, the hospital staff billing, and a pending flight to Florida, with no pay for time lost, we have set a conservative goal of $12,000. Family is working to support their household bills and mortgage. They have been through so much in the last 6 months.

Would you consider a $10 or $20 donation to help Jillian, Ryan, and Banks?