Jake Kmiecik Recovery Fund

Dear Friends,

As most of you already know, our sweet Jake has been suffering from Crohn’s Disease since he was diagnosed at fourteen. If you’re not familiar, Crohn’s is an incurable inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes chronic ulceration and inflammation of the GI tract. Symptoms include severe abdominal pain and cramping, serious fatigue, loss of appetite (due to pain), malnutrition, intestinal ulcers, diarrhea, anemia, fever, brain fog (the list goes on).

Jake’s symptoms, like most Crohn’s patients, have been managed so far with a cocktail of strong immunosuppressive medications, biologic drugs, and anti-inflammatory corticosteroids. Jake found success with one of these drugs, Remicade, for many years. In August 2020, the Remicade began to fail and Jake fell into the most severe flare of his life (until just two weeks ago).

With the onset of this flare, Jake was essentially stripped of his ability to participate in life as he knew it. In the years that followed, he was frequently housebound, if not bed-bound, and in severe pain. He lost nearly 40 pounds, unable to retain nutrients or tolerate almost any food. His brain fog became extremely severe, to the point where even sedentary activities were often intolerable. In the past three years, after numerous optimistic attempts, he has been unable to work or tour with his band. Since 2021 he has been without any stable income.

Fortunately, Jake’s partner Anna has been an incredible caretaker throughout all of this. She works only part time so that she has a free enough schedule to be able to care for Jake through his flares when necessary. She has been actively looking for more work in order to provide financially for both of them, but we all know how difficult this post-COVID economy has been for job-seekers.

Over the past three years Jake has tried every known medication for Crohn’s disease in the hopes that he would be able to feel well enough to earn an income again, and each has ostensibly failed. Through it all, he’s been continuing to seek help in every way he can. He applied for State Disability Assistance and has been denied twice—he’s still awaiting his final hearing. What’s more, because Jake has cycled through so many immunosuppressive drugs, his immune system is the weakest it has ever been.

Jake’s condition reached its boiling point on July 22nd, when he had the worst flare of his life due to E. coli exposure. After several nights in the ER, Jake made the only decision he felt could give him his life back: a surgical ileostomy. On July 31st, Jake had his colon removed. His GI tract has been rerouted to a surgically-constructed opening in his abdomen called a stoma. This is an incredibly invasive surgery and the recovery of it will be harrowing, but it means (hopefully) a much, much greater quality of life moving forward. All in all, we’re really excited for Jake’s future. There is a bright light at the end of this tunnel, even though the tunnel will be long and winding.

Part of that long tunnel is the fact that the ileostomy surgery has multiple stages. Jake will need to receive another surgery in 6-12 months, and will have frequent check-ins at the hospital along the way. Anna’s parents have graciously offered for them both to stay in their home in Chelsea so that Jake can heal and recover for this next stretch, which is a huge relief. Anna will have to commute back and forth from Chelsea as needed to continue working in Detroit.

Because of this complicated surgery, the fact that Jake has not been able to work in years, and how long and difficult his recovery will be, we’re asking our community for $30,000.

$30k will help cover all of the essentials during Jake’s recovery:

We’re deeply grateful to have such a supportive community during this time. It won’t be easy, but with some of this financial burden lifted it will mean Jake can truly heal and come back to us better than most have ever even known him. Your support means everything. Truly, we cannot do this without you.

Edit: Due to such remarkable support, we have raised our fundraising goal. Every bit helps and will aid in Jake's ability to heal with ease during his continued unemployment. There are not enough words to express our thanks.