The last 48 hours have been a whirlwind of progress and we couldn’t be more thankful or relieved. Jake is officially stepping into a whole new level of...
Continue Reading »Blog
New Year, New Lease on Life
"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Hebrews 11:1 We are walking into 2026 with the "conviction of things not...
Continue Reading »Heart, lungs and liver
The last two days have felt like a massive shift in Jake’s journey. For the first time, we aren't spending every ounce of energy "putting out fires" or...
Continue Reading »Prayers Answered
We are breathing a lot easier and so is Jake. We received the news we have been fervently praying for. The pneumothorax on both the left and right...
Continue Reading »Gaining Perspective
The day started with a bit of a letdown. Jake had yet another X-ray, which is typically done in the room using a portable machine while he is...
Continue Reading »Liters, meters, and lollipops
Jake’s victories are being measured in liters, meters and as of recently, lollipops. While we are all incredibly anxious to be back home under one roof, we are...
Continue Reading »A Very Merry Heart
Today, as the world celebrates the birth of the Savior, our family is reflecting on the incredible people who have carried us to this moment. While our Christmas...
Continue Reading »Christmas Eve: Stronger and lighter
Last night, Jake was able to have three of his five chest tubes removed! His surgeon reviewed the morning X-ray and is very happy with how things are...
Continue Reading »Managing the Leaks
We are continuing to work through the intricacies of Jake’s lung recovery today with a focus on patience and precision. While we aren't quite at the "graduation" point...
Continue Reading »Another day done
The bedside procedure from yesterday unfortunately did not provide the resolution we were looking for. This morning’s X-ray showed only marginal improvement on the right side and a...
Continue Reading »Jacob Smith
Peoria, IL
Transplant Type: Heart & Liver
Transplant Status: Transplanted
Goal: $75,000.00
Raised: $99,604 of $75,000 goal
Raised by 137 contributors