Laura Morgan feels she has one chance to give her son Jackson a normal life.
The 14-year-old, who she lovingly refers to as Jack, has been battling a complex case of Autism where he injures himself, sometimes severely, with bruises, black eyes and internal bleeding. He was diagnosed as a toddler and as the teen has aged, he’s become more of a danger to himself, Morgan said.
“My husband works a day job, I work nights and weekends to make things meet,” Morgan said. “But, we advocate for our children because Jack is a very complex case and we need to make sure he is safe.”
The Princeton, New Jersey mother has tried for years to get him the best help possible, but the current treatment program he attends is no longer working.
Recently, Jack was offered admittance into a highly-regarded program at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. KKI, as it’s known, has an 80 percent success rate with treating cases similar to Jack’s, Morgan said.
“If Jack got into KKI, it would be the first day of his life,” Morgan said, fighting back tears. “[After treatment] he would come back to me, he would live here, in my home, and maybe we could go to the beach or the park or the store… That’s our plan.”
Jack could’ve started the program already, but hasn’t because the family can’t pay the $465,000 bill for the standard four to six months of treatment. Morgan said her insurance only covers a fraction of the cost.
Loved ones surrounding the family are now asking strangers for help as time is running out to get Jack into KKI. A friend created a GoFundMe page to raise the cash for Jack’s treatment. More than $39,000 has been raised in just three days, but that’s very far from the goal.
Morgan said she’s already overwhelmed by the number of people interested in helping her and her son.
“Even just that people that I don’t know, would even care about me, it blows my mind… There are no words to describe it,” Morgan said.
Jackson last guaranteed chance to join KKI’s program was last Thursday. Morgan said a call could come at any moment letting them know the space has been filled. The family is hoping they can raise the money in time.