Support Jim Hilligoss and family

Hi, we are Joe and Jill Kowalczyk. We are fundraising to help close friends Jim and Jill Hilligoss in their time of need while Jim recovers from a devastating spinal cord injury.

Jim Hilligoss and his family have been through a lot in the last 19 years starting with Jim being diagnosed with a fibrotic lung disorder in 2004 which took away his ability to breathe and function on a normal basis. Jim was blessed to receive a gift of life with a lung transplant at UW Hospital in Madison, WI in 2011. While recovering from the transplant, they lost their son, JT, to sudden cardiac death. He was just 17 years old at the time of his passing. Jim, his wife Jill, and their daughter Jamie leaned on each other, family, friends, and their faith to help them in these devastating times. Jim was able to persevere and overcome life’s unexpected setbacks recovering from his lung transplant, beating all the odds, getting off disability, and becoming an owner-operator for Techno Metal Post in Wisconsin.

March 4, 2023 - Jim experienced another major setback with a slow progression of paralysis setting in first on his left side and then spreading to his right side. He has lost the function of his hands, arms, legs, and feet. It is hard to imagine waking up one day not being able to do simple tasks in life that we all take for granted such as feeding ourselves and getting dressed. The reason for the onset of paralysis has been somewhat of a mystery to the UW Hospital’s care teams since all the tests were coming back negative. Exploratory surgery was performed on his neck which identified degenerative discs and a narrowing of the spinal cord. Jim’s road to recovery has started at UW Rehabilitation Hospital going through an intense program of Physical and Occupational therapy over the next several weeks to get Jim’s arms and legs to function again.

The road to recovery will not be easy. While Jim and his family have insurance it does not begin to cover all the costs and medical bills that are mounting. The extent of Jim’s care and needs, once he is discharged, is overwhelming. Jill is working full-time and driving an extra 2 hours a day to and from Madison so she can spend time with Jim while he is in the hospital. The loss of Jim’s income and the medical bills have put financial stress and pressure on the family. We are asking for your help, financial generosity, and prayers.