Turning Hunger into Hope: Joslyn’s Christmas Story

It’s almost Christmas, and many families are solidifying travel plans, finding last-minute gifts, and preparing meals. Mom-of-three Joslyn is equally busy, but not with festivities. She’s planning for Christmas week in the hospital with her youngest child, quietly wondering if there will be enough food on the table for her family back home. The best gift she can imagine – one that she’s hoping for – is that her children will be cared for, even in the midst of uncertainty.

Joslyn’s daughter Eliza was born seemingly without issues. But soon, it became clear that something was very wrong. Eliza began suffering from seizures, and, more worryingly, the episodes didn’t seem to follow a pattern or even share the same ‘type.’

After a long hunt for answers, Joslyn finally received a formal diagnosis for her daughter: Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

For many parents, being able to put a name to their child’s condition, even a serious one, brings a sense of relief. A diagnosis, after all, is the first step towards getting treatment. But with Lennox-Gastaut, things are more complicated.

“Eliza went through over 15 medications and nothing worked,” Joslyn explains. “At three years old, she had to have brain surgery.”

After surgery came recovery, follow-up appointments, and more hospital visits. Joslyn did her best to balance these new commitments, in addition to caring for her two older sons, while continuing to work as much as possible. However, after a rough patch with Eliza’s health, things changed:

“We had one time where we were in the hospital for two weeks, and my job said they couldn’t give me any more time,” Joslyn says. “So, they let me go.”

Joslyn job hunted and did her best to provide financially. Meanwhile, Eliza’s health continued to decline.

“She’s having seizures, like, every five minutes,” Joslyn says. “It’s really hard because she still wants to be a kid. She wants to run around and jump and play.”

Now seven years old, Eliza is scheduled for another brain surgery. This surgery will take place the week of Christmas, and Joslyn is hopeful it will provide longer-lasting relief. Not just for Eliza, but for the entire family:

“It is hard, especially with two boys and my daughter being on all these medications that make her so hungry,” Joslyn explains. “If I feed them a small amount of food to help get through the week, they’re like, ‘Mommy, I’m still hungry.” I have to budget and try and save and stretch our food for the entire week.”

Your support this holiday season made a huge difference for Joslyn and her family. Because of donors like you, Joslyn was able to receive food, household essentials, and personal care items for herself and her children at a Feed the Children Resource Rally.

“The food will really help a lot, and the personal care item will help me put more money into other things like bills,” she says. “It is a really big help.”

There may be more challenges ahead for Joslyn and her family, especially for Eliza, in 2026. Lennox-Gastaut is unpredictable, and this may not be the last surgery Eliza needs. But thanks to your generosity, Joslyn has more peace of mind knowing she’s not alone and that her children won’t go hungry. You’ve changed a holiday season of stress and hunger into one of hope – thank you!