In 1996, we were expecting our first two children, Jake and Brandt, identical twin boys. In the 26th week of the pregnancy, Brandt passed away in utero due to T.T.T.S. (twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome). Even in the womb, Jake was a fighter and survived 9 more weeks until the doctors determined he was strong enough to endure the delivery. On May 28, 1996, Jake was born, appearing very normal, but it was quickly noted that his head was small. An MRI showed severe brain injuries from a blood clot passed through the placenta from his twin. As a result of this brain damage, Jake is microcephalic (small head) and has cerebral palsy, cortical blindness, respiratory problems, and seizures. He has had many surgeries in his lifetime, the most impactful being spinal fusion for scoliosis in 2006. That is the ugly, medical side of the story. The beautiful side of the story is that God has given us a wonderful gift in Jake. No, it has not been an easy life…I don’t think we will ever get used to watching our child endure pain and suffering. However, we have learned so much from Jake, most importantly to keep life simple and celebrate the good days! Jake’s smile and laugh are his best qualities. Jake’s favorite thing is music, specifically classic rock. We joke that music is as important as oxygen for him to be healthy! Jake has two younger siblings, Eliza and Brennan. They like to sing and make their own music for Jake and have even made their own home movies of themselves, singing his favorite songs. Our Fishing For Dreams wish is to take a family road trip to Tennessee to visit Jake’s grandparents. For the last five years, Jake’s health has been unstable and we have not been able to travel with him. Now that his health has stabilized and we have more equipment to assist his airway issues, we are feeling much more confident to take him out of the state. It will take some extra planning, but we are excited to be able to enjoy this time together as a family again. We are so thankful to the volunteers at Fishing For Dreams who are helping us with this wish that is meaningful to all of us (Jake’s grandparents, too)!