This week has been full of emotions. Early on, we got the call from St. Louis to schedule Jake’s cardiac cath for the end of October. We knew this was coming, but hearing the news still hit like a ton of bricks.

All of our minds immediately went back to what we now call the “Summer of Chaos” in 2023, a time that tested us in ways we never thought possible. No matter how difficult that time was, it’s a reminder of how incredibly far Jake has come and how incredibly strong he is. We are trying to focus on how Jake successfully went through this very same procedure this past April, just a week after his emergency surgery. He was still recovering with a chest tube in and a partially collapsed lung, yet he handled it with amazing strength. We trust the doctors in St. Louis completely, knowing they will take every precaution, but it doesn’t ease the anxiety we are all feeling. Especially Jake.

However, the weight of that news was lifted by the beautiful outpouring of support from our community this week. We have been overwhelmed by your responses. Jake has been reading all of your wonderful comments and feeling so much love. It’s a beautiful reminder that even on the days when he is tired and everything feels too heavy, he’s not alone. And knowing that we have so many of you in our corner makes even the scariest moments feel a little less daunting.