My name is Jessica, and for more than 13 years I’ve built my career in operations and supply chain leadership, working for companies such as Amazon, Nike, and Grainger. Throughout my career, I’ve led large teams, managed multimillion-dollar operations, and prided myself on being someone who solves problems, supports others, and never backs down from a challenge.

I never imagined I would be the one asking for help.

Over the past year, my life changed dramatically when I became seriously ill with severe ulcerative colitis. What began as a health struggle turned into several life saving surgeries, lengthy hospitalizations, and life-altering complications. I underwent the removal of my colon and large intestine, lived with an ileostomy, and endured months of recovery while fighting to regain my health and independence.

The physical battle was only part of the journey.

For years, I devoted myself to caring for and supporting my wife through life’s challenges. I believed that marriage meant standing beside one another through both the highs and the lows. However, during what became the most difficult period of my life while I was facing major surgeries, extended hospital stays alone, and an uncertain future my marriage came to an end. The person I expected to walk beside me through this storm chose to leave.

Losing my health was devastating. Losing my marriage and family I worked so hard to build while fighting for my life was heartbreaking.

At a time when I needed support the most, I found myself facing recovery, financial hardship, and an uncertain future largely on my own.

Perhaps the most painful part of this journey has been the impact it has had on my relationship with my son. As a parent, there is nothing more important to me than being present in his life. Throughout these health battles, hospital stays, surgeries, and personal hardships, my greatest fear has never been for myself—it has been losing precious time with him. Every day I fight to heal is another day I fight to be the parent he deserves and to build a stable future where I can continue showing up for him.

While battling these medical challenges, I lost my ability to work and eventually lost my income. Medical expenses continued to mount, and I found myself paying for health insurance out of pocket so I could complete the surgeries necessary to save my life. At the same time, rent, car payments, utilities, and everyday living expenses continued to pile up. I lost everything!

This has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life.

I’ve always been the person helping others, leading teams, mentoring employees, and finding solutions during difficult times. Asking for help does not come naturally to me. I have spent my life being the one people could count on, and now I find myself in a position where I need others to help me through a season I never could have imagined.

Despite everything, I haven’t given up.

Through every surgery, every setback, every sleepless night in the hospital, and every personal loss, I have continued to fight because I believe there is still a brighter chapter ahead. My goal is not simply to survive this experience it’s to rebuild. I want to return to work, regain financial stability, continue my recovery, and create a future where my son can look at me and see what perseverance looks like in the face of adversity.

Every donation, no matter the amount, will help cover:

• Medical expenses and recovery costs

• Health insurance premiums

• Transportation to medical appointments

• Basic living expenses while I continue healing and searching for employment

• Outstanding bills accumulated during my extended medical leave

My goal is simple: to regain my health, return to the workforce, and rebuild the life I’ve worked so hard to create.

If you’re unable to donate, sharing my story, prayers, and words of encouragement would mean the world to me. Every act of kindness helps remind me that even in our darkest moments, we are never truly alone.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for helping me get through one of the most difficult chapters of my life. Your support is more than financial assistance it is hope during a time when hope has sometimes felt hard to find.

With gratitude,

Jessica