Dear JCF Family,

We're Carrie and Jerome, and we're writing to you about Jackson Chance Foundation, a cause near and dear to our hearts. Whether you spent many days in a NICU yourself, were the grandparent holding things together at home, or the friend who showed up with groceries during your loved one’s NICU stay, you know what this road looks like. You’ve walked it alongside someone you love, just like so many people walked it alongside us.

If you have not personally experienced or been part of the NICU support system - we are so happy you are here to learn more about why this cause is so important to families like ours.

Our son Logan was born on July 28, 2023 at 24 weeks and 6 days, weighing 1 pound 12 ounces. He was later diagnosed with severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and spent his first 87 days in the NICU at Evanston, a place that became our whole world, before the team transferred him to Lurie Children's for a heart procedure and specialized BPD care.

We will never forget that transfer day, following Logan's ambulance downtown, parking in an unfamiliar structure, navigating two sets of elevators, and trying to find our son in a place we'd never been. So many kind faces greeted us, and yet we felt overwhelmed. Logan had a procedure the next morning and all we could think was, how can we leave him? Do we even remember where we parked? How much is this going to cost on top of everything else?

Then our social worker told us something that changed everything: parking would be fully covered by the Jackson Chance Foundation, for as long as Logan needed to be there.

We had no idea how long our road would be. It turned out to be 142 more days, five months of driving downtown, staying at Ronald McDonald House for weeks at a time, sometimes coming home on the weekends, and driving right back to be with our boy.

If you've been a NICU parent, or if you've loved someone on this journey, you understand what that kind of relief really means. It's not just about parking. It's about having one less a barrier to being present for emergencies, procedures, care times, kangaroo care (skin-to-skin), therapies, and rounds. More moments to simply be Logan’s parents.

We never imagined an organization like this existed, one that truly understood that BPD babies can have such long and unknown NICU stays, and that their families need steady, quiet support to get through them. JCF helped make it easier for us to be at Logan's side every step of the way, including all 229 days he spent in the NICU during his first year of life.

Whether you lived this yourself or stood beside someone who did, we understand the desire to want to pay it forward in a meaningful way. That's why we wanted to share our story as part of this mid-year appeal.

Right now, somewhere, a family is pulling into an unfamiliar parking structure for the first time. A parent is doing the math on how many days they can afford to show up, and what sacrifices that will require. You can be the reason that family hears the same words we heard: this is taken care of.

Parking at hospitals in downtown Chicago can cost as much as $75 per day, or over $1,000 per month when parents visit multiple times per day. Thanks to JCF’s partnerships, a monetary gift of $300 provides a family with one month of parking. A donation of $11.11 provides one day of parking for a NICU family, while honoring the life of Jackson Chance Meghie - born at 11/11/11 at 11:11 p.m. - whose 10-month fight in the NICU inspired JCF’s mission.

Your gift, whether one-time or monthly, gives a NICU family the most invaluable thing in their child's life: time. Time to be present, time to advocate, time to listen, time to sing, time to read, and time to be a parent in the most extraordinary of circumstances. A monthly gift makes you a steady hand for families all year long, and a one-time gift makes an immediate impact for a family in the NICU today.

Logan is almost three years old. Today, he thrives every day with the love of his village, his extended family, his medical professionals, and the therapists who have carried us all through the highs and lows. No NICU family does this alone. We got to watch him grow, in large part because JCF made sure we could be there. Your gift means another family, and the people who love them, gets that same chance.

With all our love and gratitude,

Carrie & Jerome, Logan's Mom & Dad

P.S. Every NICU stay is different, but the need is always the same. Families need to be present, and they need to know they're not alone. JCF helped make that true for us, and now, together, we can make it true for someone else.