02/12/2026
To our incredible community of Miramichi and to every person near and far who stood behind Jessie,
Before anything else, we want to extend a very special and heartfelt thank you to Shelley Whiffen and Tina Jepson. Your tireless work behind the scenes, your countless hours of organizing and pushing forward made this possible. But you did not do it alone. Our community stood shoulder to shoulder with you. Businesses donated. Families gave what they could. People showed up to events, bought tickets, shared posts, dropped off items, sent e-transfers, and quietly contributed without ever asking to be acknowledged. Every effort big or small helped carry the weight of what Shelly and Tina were leading. It was truly a community effort in every sense of the word, and watching everyone rally around them and around Jessie is something we will never forget.
The past ten years have tested Jessie in ways most people will never fully see. Surgeries. Hospital stays. Procedures. Hope rising and falling. So many moments where we believed we were finally at the answer we had prayed for, only to find ourselves facing another setback. Perhaps one of the hardest parts of this decade was not just the medical battles themselves, but living all those years without a clear diagnosis — not truly knowing what we were up against or what the future might hold. The uncertainty was heavy. It made every decision harder and every fear louder.
Through it all, her medical team here did everything they possibly could with the tools and resources available to them. We will always be grateful for their dedication, their care, and their commitment to our daughter.
Because of your generosity, Jessie was given the opportunity to see a world-renowned cardiac professor in London, England an opportunity we never could have pursued on our own. That opportunity changed everything. For the first time in ten years, we were given clarity. We were given answers. To finally understand her condition, to have it properly identified, and to have a plan built around that knowledge lifted a weight we had been carrying for a decade.
The two remarkable professors who cared for her went far beyond anything that was required of them. Their expertise, compassion, and willingness to truly see Jessie — not just as a case, but as a young woman with a full life ahead of her — changed everything for our family. They gave her not only a diagnosis, but a successful surgery and a path forward.
Jessie’s condition cannot be “fixed.” That is a reality we live with. But what we now have is understanding, monitoring, and access to treatments that continue to evolve. As time passes, new medications and advances are becoming available that will aid and support her heart in ways that were not possible even a few years ago. That gives us hope. Medicine is moving forward, and Jessie has the right people and the right plan in place to move forward with it.
There will still be hills to climb. There will be hard conversations and difficult decisions ahead. This journey is not over. But it is no longer filled with the same fear of the unknown. Jessie can now move forward toward a somewhat normal life not without challenges, but without the constant shadow of uncertainty we carried for so long.
Jessie’s surgery was successful.
Those words mean relief. They mean stability. They mean that for the first time in a very long time, we can breathe a little easier. As her parents, the fear and stress we have carried for years has eased in a way we didn’t know was possible.
To everyone who donated, shared, prayed, sent messages, or simply believed in her — you were part of this outcome. You helped give our daughter more than surgery. You gave her clarity. You gave her opportunity. You gave her support for the road ahead. You gave her peace.
This journey has also reinforced something we feel strongly about: advocating for your child matters. Ask the hard questions. Seek second opinions. Educate yourself until you understand the condition almost as well as the specialists treating it. It is exhausting. It can feel uncomfortable. You may face negativity or doubt when you push for answers. But as parents, it is our responsibility to keep going to block out the noise and not stop until we know we have done everything in our human power for our child.
Because of this community, we were able to do exactly that.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for walking this road with us. Jessie’s future looks brighter because of you.
With endless gratitude,
Natasha, Jeff, Jessie and Family.
