Jessie's Journey

Hello everyone!!
We wanted to share some amazing news with you. We have officially received our Non-profit 501(c)(3) status for our organization United By Heroes.
We will be honoring fallen military and first responders by having flags signed in their honor and deliver those to the families of those heroes.
Jessie has also requested that she have flags signed for children battling cancer. The logistics are being ironed out for those flags with the hope that we can have fire and police sign the flags for our cancer warriors. This is her way of helping lift those children up and show them that they're not fighting alone.
We want to unite heroes across the country to help lift our heroes up and honor those that have fallen.

You can swing by our page to see some of the current heroes that we're honoring. Any child we support will be listed on our website by name and cancer diagnosis only, unless otherwise granted permission to share their photo.
Please take some time to follow our page. Jessie will be working on finalizing the cancer heroes flag details.

https://www.facebook.com/share/1EpvXK3Dz9/

United By Heroes United By Heroes honors the life and ultimate sacrifice or our fallen heroes through flags that are

I wanted to thank the sweet lady that came up to Jessie and I last week in Walmart to tell us that she's been following Jessie's journey from her diagnosis.
That truly meant a lot to Jessie and made her realize the impact her treatment journey had on others and number of people that have supported her over the last several years.
Thank you!! It does mean a tremendous amount to us to meet you all and tell you thank you.
I cannot thank you all enough for sending your love to Jessie during her treatment.

Jessie Update!!!
Good news, there are no blasts in here bloodwork!!! She'll be going back in on Thursday to recheck her bloodwork and see if her Neutrophil and Platelet counts have come up!!
This is definitely good news for Jessie too hear, she's been extremely stressed.

Jessie had a bit of a scare yesterday. She's been battling a fever since Sunday. She's burning to the touch and is extremely weak. She's lost about 10lbs and is dehydrated. Her doctor recommended taking her in to the ER to get bloodwork done right away and to get fluids in her.
She was concerned that her cancer was returning.
Covid and Influenza test were negative. She's Neutropenic and her platelets were extremely low. She's not in treatment so to see her Neutrophil count drop so low without being in treatment is concerning. Her liver functions are all off.
We're hoping this is just a very aggressive virus and it's taking everything her body has to fight it.
She's home and resting now, just a terrible scare for this momma's heart to hear the word cancer again.

Please send our sweet friend Emersyn love and strength.
If you have an opportunity, please help her family through this battle.
WE LOVE YOU SWEET Emersyn!

Emersyn’s Relapse with Cancer, organized by Stephanie Szyska Update: on January 24, 2024, Caitlyn got the call that Emersyn has relapsed. She has on… Stephanie Szyska needs your support for Emersyn’s Relapse with Cancer

***Get some tissues*** We have a dear friend, 11 year old Emersyn, who recently finished treatment for Neuroblastoma. Emersyn relapsed, January 24th. With few options to treat her, Jessie wanted to show Emersyn support and cut her hair. Since Jessie's treatment ended, she's grown 14" of hair enough for a solid hair donation. One cancer warrior in support of another. Jessie is donating her hair in Emersyn's honor to Wigs For Kids. She will be submitting her hair with both of their cancer stories.
Emersyn, we love you sweetheart. You have an army of support behind you rooting you on, and standing beside you. You've got this sweetheart!

I hope this brightens everyone's day. Or, at least gives you a little chuckle! I'm questioning what I did to get this look!!!
Yes, this is my Jessie!! All fun of sass!!

Jessie and her Dancing Nurse Joe!
We love you Joseph Dancelife

Jessie is attending the 21st Birthday party for our cancer hero Jorge. Jessie and Jorge had spent a very special day here while both were going through treatment. Today would have been Jorge's 21st birthday. We love you, JorgeStrong. We miss you dearly.

Jessie had her regular blood work checkup today to screen for cancer. She has made it another 3 months with no signs of cancer!! Every 3 months we go through the stress wondering how these tests are going to turn out. We don't sleep, it can be a bit terrifying, Jess shuts down a bit when we get to the clinic because the thought of going through treatment again is terrifying.
But, here we are, one more check down and Jess is looking great. Her weight is up and she's officially starting above 100lbs.

***BELLA UPDATE*** Can you believe that this is Bella today?! This silly girl got her tube removed from her tummy! Yes, she's smiling in both pictures! She's a very happy girl, she even made a friend with a sweet little Yellow Lab named Daisy that was visiting the Vet. The two played while they waited for their appointment. Like two wobbly goofs excited to have a paydate. This silly girl was all smiles and ran straight back to see all the nurses. She's still on heavy antibiotics, Meds to support her liver, and pain meds, but she's all smiles and has gotten her color back. Everyone got kisses today, or a "bath" of kisses from Bella. She's doing so much better. I cannot thank everyone enough for the love, support, and prayers you have sent our way. This was such a heartbreaking event, but the love that's poured in has overwhelming and incredible. You all have been angels to us. We thought we lost this silly girl, the vets didn't think there was even a chance of saving her. I know that a miracle has happened, and angels watching over Jessie and her sweet Bella.

🥰❤️

Jessie and her sweet Make A WISH,... Bella!!

Miss Bella is home. I surprised Jessie after receiving a call from the vet that Bella was stable enough to bring home. She has a t-shirt on to protect a tube that's draining fluid from her belly. We have to drain that regularly. She has stitches in her paw. A scratch opened up to a large wound when her paws swelled up like elephant feet. She's on 7 medications, 2 antibiotics, 1 med to help improve her liver function, another for pain, 1 probiotic for her gut, and anti nausea med, and a medication treatment for her eyes. She is regaining some energy, slowly. She wants to give kisses all the time. She has check-ups with the vet to check her liver counts to make sure her systems are still improving. It'll definitely help with the vet costs to have her home.
This sweet girl didn't deserve this. She only wants kisses and to say hello to everyone. When leaving the hospital, Bella had to give all the nurses and care team kisses before she would leave. She made sure she said goodbye to everyone. She's resting at home snuggled with Jessie.
Miss Lily, our Brittany isn't quite sure what to think of Bella. She doesn't smell the same. She's standoffish and not certain what to do.
Praying for continued improvement for this silly girl.

https://gofund.me/75fd642c

Jessie's Make-A-Wish Puppy Vet Bills, organized by Jennifer Callahan-Barner On September 3rd, Jessie 's Make-A-Wish puppy, 1yr old sweet Bella was p… Jennifer Callahan-Barner needs your support for Jessie's Make-A-Wish Puppy Vet Bills

Jessie 's Make-A-Wish puppy, 1yr old sweet Bella, was poisoned September 2nd. We don't know how, but know that it was most likely rat poisoning according to the Vet. We noticed that she was weak, dehydrated, but early this morning she began bleeding profusely from her bottom. She's spent the last several days in the ICU fighting for her life. The cost of her treatment to keep her alive has grown to $11,300.

I realized that I hadn't posted this yet here. I'll edit this as I pull the other updates from my personal page and add them here.

***Bella Update*** Ultrasound on her abdomen was clear. We needed to rule out the possibility of trauma before moving forward, but also needed to stabilize her before she could have this done. We cannot stay in the ICU with her so we have to rely on updates. Tomorrow we can go in and see her again for a visit. We're getting antsy so we are finding things to do to occupy our time while we wait.
The vet did mention that now that the plasma transfusion has had a chance to do its work she's not bleeding as much. She's not out of the woods by any means, she's got a hard fight ahead of her.

***Bella Update*** We arrived at the vet to a wonderful surprise. Bella has regained some strength. She still has a fever and is on heavy antibiotics, she has started to drink on her own and takes very small nibbles of food. This is a far cry from yesterday, she was lifeless, there was blood everywhere. So much blood I thought she had lost all she could expend. There was so much blood in the back of my car I had to take out the mat and cover to my spare tire and wash it out at the car wash near the clinic. Her kennel, cushion, blankets, and toys were soaked, and she pooped out quite a bit more blood and collapsed I was sure she gone. Puddles of blood. Things were very grim yesterday. She was diagnosed with DIC and Hypocoaguability. She didn't have platelets to clot her blood and prevent her from bleeding. She was becoming septic, there was very little hope for her. Today, she sat up slowly unassisted to greet us. The vet came over with a huge smile and said, "I can't explain this. I don't think any of us can explain this, it doesn't make sense. She definitely has a guardian angel watching over her because this just doesn't happen." Last night Bella couldn't lift her head on her own, couldn't stand up to go to the bathroom. This morning, Bella got to her feet and walked with the nurse to go potty. She is still very weak, but she's improved so much. She's giving everyone in the ICU kisses and loves.
I can't explain it, but I know whose had a hand in Bella's recovery. I asked everyone to pray for a miracle and we have witnessed one today. Everyone in the ICU kept saying, "There's no way to explain this. If Bella could speak I'm sure she'd have a story to tell us."

Thank you, everyone, for prayers. Bella is still not out of the woods, she is still very very sick. But there is life in her today when she was lifeless yesterday. She sat up all the way when she saw Karter. He sat beside her and held her head in his lap. She sat up again when Jay came in, and laid down in front of him so she could kiss him. This sweet girl is a fighter. "Jessie told her yesterday, "if I can survive cancer, you can survive this." She is definitely fighting.

***Bella Update*** Bella is able to walk now for longer distances. She was able to visit with us in a quiet room rather than in the ICU. She's jaundiced, and still weak. Her platelettes are rising but very slowly. Her liver is struggling but the vet is certain it'll bounce back. She's shocked that Bella is even alive. By all accounts she should have passed before we made it to the clinic. Her white blood cell count was non existent, palettes didn't even register, her red blood cell count was extremely low and she was lifeless. Her bone marrow is damaged, but we're seeing some improvement. She isn't maintaining her own glucose levels so she needs continuous glucose IVs. She is in a lot of pain. If it wasn't for her vets quick thinking to start plasma infusions she wouldn't be alive.
To see her walking, color back in her gums, and her sweet face light up when she walked through the door and saw us was such a blessing.
Bella, the silly goof, is such a strong girl. She's definitely fighting to get back home.

***Bella Update*** The Vet is trying to wean Bella off of her IV meds and switch to oral. She is still about the same as she was yesterday, slowly making a comeback. Like a sloth through mud. She's still struggling to maintain glucose levels, but we're hoping she will continue to gain her appetite back. She's still got a long road ahead of her.

We've had a few people tell us that with the high Vet cost we should have put Bella down go and buy Jessie a new dog. I understand people see that and would think a dog is a dog and not worth the cost. Bella isn't any ordinary dog, she may be big for a 1 year old, knobby kneed and rambunctious at times. But she's got more love in her tiny docked tail than most could ever hope for. She has brought hope, life, and joy to a young woman who lost out on her teenage years to constant chemo, throwing up, blood and platelet transfusions, steroids, pain, heartache, infection, and knowing that at any moment her cancer could fight back and she wouldn't have much of a chance to live. This dog is not just a dog, she's everything that Jessie has lost wrapped up in a wet nose and floppy ears. To see Bella dying as Jessie held her, begging her to fight was the hardest thing I've seen since I was begging Jessie to fight the day she was diagnosed with cancer.

Jay and I don't have much. We're just starting out as a couple. But I have told Jessie that no matter what it takes we'll find a way to get Bella the treatment she needs. Bella is her hope, I couldn't face myself in the mirror if I knew that I had a hand in taking that away from her.