Urgent Help for Jimmy and Mark's Medical Journey

Please Help My Brother Jimmy and His Partner Mark Through a Medical Crisis

Hi everyone,

I’m reaching out to ask for your support for my brother, Jimmy, and his partner, Mark, as they navigate an unexpected and very serious medical situation.

It all started when Jimmy and Mark took a much needed trip. They had a wonderful time together, but on their way home, things took a turn for the worse. As they were driving to Flagstaff, AZ (their stop on the way back to Colorado), Jimmy’s left knee started throbbing with pain. It had been bothering him for a few days while they were in Vegas, but they thought it was just from walking a lot. By the time they reached Flagstaff, the pain had become unbearable.

The next morning, Jimmy woke up in so much pain that he had to go to the emergency room. Upon examining his knee, the doctors told him there was likely an infection. They admitted him and found they needed to perform surgery to investigate and clean it out.

Things quickly became more complicated. Jimmy had a severe allergic reaction to the cleaning pads they use before surgery, causing his legs to swell and turn almost completely orange. The swelling and reactions kept getting worse, and the doctors had to keep switching his antibiotics to figure out what was causing the problems. Jimmy is allergic to Benadryl, so there was no easy solution there, even once it was figured out that the cleaning solution was the cause of the reaction.

Despite the surgery, Jimmy’s left knee continued to swell significantly. The doctors decided to perform a second surgery to clean it out again after discovering that the infection was caused by a rare bacteria, Aerococcus urinae, the same bacteria that caused Jimmy’s UTI back in August. This bacteria is unusual and can be particularly dangerous, as it has the potential to spread to the heart and heart valves. Thankfully, an EKG showed that Jimmy’s heart looks healthy so far.

However, the infection is still not fully under control. In the second surgery, they packed his knee with antibiotics and cement to try to fight the infection while they prepare for a third surgery, which is scheduled soon. We still don’t know how long Jimmy will have to stay in the hospital, and there’s no clear timeline for when he’ll be able to come home.

On top of all this, the hospital has strict regulations that prevent Mark from staying overnight with Jimmy, meaning Mark has to stay in a hotel nearby. This has created a huge financial burden, with unexpected costs for housing, food, and other necessities. They’re far from home, and with no set discharge date, these expenses are quickly adding up.

Once Jimmy is finally released, they will also face the cost of figuring out how to safely transport him home, as he will likely still need special transport, care, and monitoring.

This GoFundMe is to help Jimmy and Mark cover these mounting expenses—housing for Mark, food, transportation, and any other costs that come with being stuck far from home during this medical crisis. We are hoping to raise enough to ensure they can stay together, keep up with daily expenses, and eventually make it home safely.

Anything you can contribute, whether it’s a donation or sharing this page, would mean the world to us. Thank you for reading and for any support you can provide during this incredibly difficult time.