Support Jacob's Emergency Brain Surgery

On April 18th, 2025, I picked my stepson Jacob up from school to get his haircut and was expecting to have a “normal” weekend. We, as a family, were excited for our Easter plans.

When Jacob got in the car, I asked him how his day was going, the usual conversation, and he told me his head hurt. I then began to ask questions, such as how long has this been going on? On a scale of 1-10, how bad is it? Have you been eating and drinking enough? (We only have him on the weekends, holiday breaks, and summer break). He looked at me in tears (he rarely cries) and told me he didn’t want to go get his haircut.

My mother instinct kicked into high gear, and I took him to Children's Hospital. He had previously had open-heart surgery in 2020, so we don’t mess around with his health.

We arrived at the Emergency Department at noon. At that point in time, he was talking, coherent, and alert. Things quickly went downhill. He went from being responsive to being lethargic in a matter of hours.

When the CT results came back, the doctor informed us that they had discovered a cyst on his brain and a massive buildup of spinal fluid, which would explain his symptoms. They attempted to administer a medication to drain the fluid, but that was unsuccessful.

The plan was then to wait until the morning to get an MRI, but his condition continued to worsen. He had a low pulse and shallow breathing and was rapidly transferred to the PICU. The neurosurgeon took us by surprise when he informed us that Jacob needed emergency surgery to place a drain in his skull to rid some of the fluid in his brain—his life depended on it. He said if he did not have this procedure, he could pass away during the MRI.

By the grace of God, the surgery was a success. He is being monitored in the PICU for the time being and will more than likely have to undergo at least one more brain surgery.

I am so thankful I trusted my gut, which I know is God, and took him in because if not, my son may not be with us today.

I am fundraising for my son to help cover medical expenses, as my husband, who is a bartender, had and will have to take a lot of time away from work to care for his family. (We also have an almost 6-month-old baby girl who is not allowed in the ICU, so Jake and I are figuring out how we are going to juggle this situation).

If you feel inclined to give, we would appreciate it more than you know—but more than anything, please cover our family in prayer.

We Love You-

Jake, Lillian, Jada, Jacob, and Gigi