We misunderstood that although the CoCoPay Platform is free for us to use, Paypal takes some of the money contributed to us :(  If you are making a contribution and you know how to make an e-transfer we receive the full amount. The recipient is  Paul Jonke  and the e-mail address is  jjk.openheart@gmail.com the money will be directly deposited into a separate account made solely for this fundraiser.  

Know, without doubt, that we deeply appreciate for your support and contacts!

Paul & Jodi

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Quick Update (Sat Jan 3rd): OH...MY....WORD!!!! I had been hoping to get in for surgery in the last week of February at the earliest but yesterday (Feb 2nd) They called me and offered me a surgical date for a cancelation This Tues, Feb 6th. We abandoned all and just took it! Instead of the rollercoaster we have been on we have now switched to a Zipline with tremendous speed headed straight into the hospital. We head into Calgary tomorrow. My loving sister was already here, helping us out - which has been amazing. It means organizing all the details of housing, animal/house care, transportation (we no longer have a working vehicle), hotel reservations, packing, doing up our will and my medical directive and the list goes on, and the clock keeps ticking.  The stress for all three of us in incredibly high and I am having panic attacks and horrible nightmares but we will make it! Ready or not, here we go! OH....MY...WORD!

Hello There,

We are a married couple of 21yrs, Paul Jonke and Jodi Jonke-Kilb (I – Jodi-- am the writer this time). We come to you humbly in need of financial support for multiple medical urgent and ongoing medical problems.  

We are in a time of hardship that has been out of our control due to health concerns for the two of us. We are both on Disability and are unable to work. This was not our plan, but we now find ourselves in need of help.

The most pressing and urgent need is for Jodi’s Open-Heart Surgery, this coming Tuesday, Feb 6th, in Calgary,  It will cost us $6,596 if all goes well. (The breakdown of expenses can be found at the bottom of this letter).

Paul has PTSD and has been on Disability since June, 2022. Paul no longer has Leave from his position in EMS; it was terminated this month which in turn means that he has lost his job benefits. The cost for Private Benefits is beyond what we can afford, and without them we are unable to get our medications and medical needs met. They will cost us $396/mo. The definition of Paul’s long-term disability changed on Jan 1st from “being unable to return to his job as a Primary Paramedic” to “being unable to work at any job”, as was determined by his Psychiatrist. On Disability you are unable to work on the side and if caught; you would lose your Disability payments and could go to jail for fraud.

Finding benefits that will cover more than a handful of Psychologist Appointments for him is not possible. He has a long way to go yet to come back to the Paul we know. We need financial support of $175/appt x4/mo to bring him out of himself so that he can function normally and engage with life again.  

Can you help? We would be so thankful if you could in any of these 4 ways:

1) Financially, right away for my Open-Heart Surgery. We are heading into this with funds that have been donated already to start with but that will certainly not carry us through. We are taking a leap of faith that things will work out as we trust that God has opened this door for an early surgical date.

2) Financially, for ongoing expenses of Professional Counselling for Paul’s PTSD, monthly Health Benefits, gas for appointments (we often spend $400/month), and grocery money so that I can eat the right food for my dietary needs which will really impact how I am feeling. (They think I am Celiac – no gluten, low fat – b/c of my heart, low sugar – b/c of my diabetes, and I am lactose intolerant. So, you will find me out eating grass with the horses. LOL! Actually, from what we understand it means low fat proteins and fresh produce only – much more expensive than KD and Ichiban ☹). Ongoing expenses can be gifted as a one-time contribution or a monthly contribution.

3) My belief in the Creator and in the power of prayer is strong. Do not underestimate the power of your prayers. This would be a tremendous gift you could give to us. You could pray *For peace as we jump into this surgery headfirst. *For healing as I recover from the surgery *For strength, courage, and endurance as a couple. *That details and finances come together. *For the medical team – that they will be competent, wise, and compassionate. *That we would have wisdom in the decisions we need to make; and trust in the Lord that He goes before us and has a plan for us. 

4) It is no small act to help us get the word out by Sharing our Campaign with your friends and family. We have lost touch with so many people that have been important to us over the years and we no longer have their contacts. If you have the contacts of people we may have known in the past could you please pass this on to them? Could you also post it to the general public; we would encourage any others who are interested in contributing &/or following us, to join our community.  

Follow us here on CoCoPay by hitting “Subscribe” and you will automatically receive our updates on how things are going. We will post as often as we can. Please write to us "publicly" on this webpage, or "privately" at

jjk.openheart@gmail.com.

If you are interested in how we got here, our story is written below. It is not your typical story for a couple, but we take it as it comes. It has made us who we are. Strong, Courageous, Stubborn, Resilient, Feisty, Compassionate, Grateful, and full of a sense of humor (although you may not see it until you know us well).

OUR STORY

We have lived on an acreage in Ponoka County since Feb’22. We are lovers of animals: we have 2 cats, a dog, and some horses – all of them are a lifeline for us; giving us purpose, grounding, and whole-hearted therapy. We are surrounded by creation here – beautiful sunrises/sunsets, views of fields and trees, coyote serenades and the odd deer herd walking through. I have a big picture window where I can see it all from my bed. We have so much gratitude for the move we made from the city.  

As a child/teen I had the awesome opportunity to be a camper at Pioneer Ranch Camps in Alberta. It made a huge impact on my life. As an adult I became a staff worker there involved in the Youth Ministry. I was a cabin leader, a horseback riding instructor, a staff trainer, a program manager, and a nurse. I loved every minute of it and my life became rich with meaningful mentors and friends. I threw myself into working with teenagers and staff in diverse ways and would probably still be there in the summers if I hadn’t got married. LOL!

Both Paul and I are lovers of people. We have given our lives to caring for other’s loved ones throughout our medical professions. These are the professions we chose early in life and followed through until we were no longer able; losing them (at different times) was/is a grieving process for both of us. They are professions that have come at a great cost to both of us because we always strived to give the best we had.

I served as a Licensed Practical Nurse for almost 10 years and went back to school to take my Registered Nursing Degree. I was only able to practice for 9 months before I was in a serious car accident on the way to a shift at the hospital. It was at highway speed in 2004 which resulted in a Brain Injury, PTSD, Panic Attacks/Anxiety and Chronic Pain. I continue to push forward, improving my strategies as I continue to deal with it on a day-to-day basis. I have been on Permanent Disability since the Accident.

The Accident was a tremendous loss and pivotal change in both Paul’s and my journey together, we had only been married for 2 years. I still use the skills that I learned through training, and will always be, in many ways a nurse. I have learned to use my skills in different situations. It does mean though that my income will never change from the wage of a starting RN 20 yrs ago in a P/T position.

Paul is an Emergency Medical Technician who has been on Disability for PTSD since June ’21. He served faithfully for 20 years on the ambulance and the things he witnessed and was involved in just stacked up on each other, to the point that he could no longer go in to work. He had continued to work for many years too long; feeling an obligation to provide. At the same time, he was coming home each day after work to care for me, who was trying to manage the household as best I could with my Brain Injury, PTSD and pain. It has left him deeply wounded, lost, unable to cope, unable to connect with myself and others.  

It was extremely difficult to find the right psychologist for Paul. It was an exhausting battle. He was able to find a Mental Health Nurse, who he continues to work with, after we arrived here while we continued to search for the right Psychologist. He has found a wise Psychiatrist who is invested in him now and after a year of searching, we finally found a Psychologist who specifically works with EMS Workers who have PTSD. She uses EMDR (a faster, more effective form of treatment) who does her sessions with Paul over Zoom on the internet. It has made all the difference. She has been able to start cracking the tightly wound coils that are protecting Paul, and every once in a while, Paul is starting to shine through. Before his PTSD, Paul was a gentle soul, fun, easy-going, very funny, and steady as a rock. With his PTSD – he struggles to deal with small things; his coping skills have been depleted. The animals are his lifeline for now: the dog especially, the cats and horses that he connects with readily. I still remember the first time he chuckled at a sitcom joke – it was a huge breakthrough. I know he’s still in there. The Psychologist has made a big improvement from where he was. He just needs a lot more time with her: we are looking at a minimum of another year.  

It is hard for both of us to have that compassionate, human care element put on the backburner as we take the needed time to heal. We have caregiving knit into the very fibre of our beings – it still pops up all over the place. 😊! It is also so difficult to ask for care and help when you would do as much as possible for someone else but aren’t used to being on the receiving side. Although this is a challenging hurdle in the road, we know that our caregiving years are not over. We will not return as a Nurse or an EMT but whatever comes next, God has a plan; and looking back on our lives, we can see how we have been prepared, through everything, for what is to come in our future. Our compassionate care for others and our previous training will be intertwined throughout our lives, to be sure!

I have been very sick since December 2021. First Covid, then three months of rebalancing my Diabetes (which got out of control in the move); followed by 6 months of Shingles and a hospitalization with Acute Liver Toxicity for a medication I was taking. Then into November when they found Hyperthyroidism and discovered I probably have Celiac Disease.

In Oct’22, I started to feel weak and tired, dizzy and nauseated with no explanation from Doctors. As time went on the symptoms progressed. With both of us having a medical background, we continued to look for answers for what might be making me so sick. After a while, I would go to do things with my large muscles – arms and legs. They would work fine for 10-15 minutes and then weaken to the point that I could not stand or move/lift my arms anymore. Very concerned, we kept seeking for more answers. As my Internal Specialist said: “Jodi you are very complicated.”

Finally, after having many things ruled out- This Spring ‘23, I had 6 angina attacks in 3 months. It was eventually the last Dr in Emergency, who sent me on for a heart scan; and major blockages were found. Medications were changed and there have been no more Angina attacks. I had already had a serious Heart Attack in 2015 with a Stent placed at the age of 42 (it’s related to a genetic predisposition, diabetes, and some of my lifestyle decisions). Two of my brothers have died of Heart Attacks; Brett at 28 yrs old and then Brad at 46 yrs old. From my heart scan, I had an Angiogram where they decided it would be best to do Bypasses instead of placing Stents. I was told at that time (Sep5) that I would have the surgery within 2-6 weeks. Unfortunately, this is not what has happened.

It has been a very difficult couple of years for both of us as I have been mostly laid up in bed and Paul has been left to manage my care as well as the animal care and the management of the house and acreage. He does an amazing job, but his PTSD makes it very difficult to take on much more than the very basics. We are both totally drained physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually.   

You Are Up-To Date: As of Today (Jan 21)

Currently, and for quite a while now, I usually need about 20hrs of bed rest/sleep a day because I am exhausted. I wear a CPAP in bed because my blood is only carrying 81% oxygen (should be above 90%) when I am sleeping. I am short of breath with walking or stairs; and I am extremely weak, and my muscles get fatigued quickly. I rarely get out to see the horses anymore which are approximately 30 yards from the house. My feet have started to swell, and I am so hot all the time. I can’t figure out how to balance my blood sugars, they are all over the place these days. I am often dizzy and nauseated with no interest in food. I have started to throw-up in my sleep and wake up choking on it. Lots of abdominal pain. I have been incredibly stressed which brings on the Panic Attacks and I dread the nights because I am either thinking at a million miles a minute and cannot turn off the thoughts, or I am having vivid frightening and disturbing nightmares (which continues to be a result of my PTSD) but the medication I had to come off of to prevent the Angina Attacks was to help to dull my nightmares. The pain that I usually deal with has increased and is holding over the past year: with Fibromyalgia flares related to the stress, my Diabetes, migraines, and overall muscle and bone pain, it takes a lot to get around and to rest/sleep comfortably. 

The Cardiac Surgeon was very straight forward with us and told us that fixing my heart would not fix all my symptoms and that he suspects there may be underlying issues going on that will need further investigation after the heart surgery. He gave no indication as to what they may be or who will take lead on that. We will cross that bridge when we come to it.

It has been a much longer wait than 2-6wks due to where I am triaged in the long waiting list. It has not been the magical time of creating memories and building up our strength that I was hoping for. It has been a lot of sleep and a lot of tension from the pressure to solve problems and manage so many details. We were able to make a change to a terrific heart surgeon in Calgary who is focused on the patient and whom we trust. We expect to be in Calgary for 3 weeks if all goes well. The surgeon will be doing 2 Major Bypasses: The one artery has blockages of – 40%, 50%, 40%, 50% and 70%, a total of 250% blocked. The second artery has blockages of 40% and 70%, a total of 110% blockages. He is also hoping to do several other bypasses but will not know how many until he can see my heart. The surgery will remove all these blockages and allow the blood to flow freely again! Incredible!

 I know that it is a lot to ask - but I am asking for your understanding for why we are asking for the financial support for Paul to be at my side through the hospitalization. We are peas in a pod that rely on each other for strength mutually. We have been through countless hospitalizations and Hospital Emergency visits and true to our marriage vows are always there “in sickness (and in health)”. Our life journey together has primarily been just the two of us, together, against the challenges we have had to face. Paul knows me inside out; he knows my physical struggles and he knows how I think and knows my heart. He can de-escalate me when I have Panic Attacks and Nightmares just as I know how to de-escalate him when he is overwhelmed and unable to cope. His presence in the room, just holding his hand and knowing that he is there is so reassuring to me. We allow each other to just be who we are in each moment or day without judgement. We rely on each other. He is my decision-maker if anything goes wrong. Due to his PTSD he is unable to just crash somewhere on a friend’s couch. He needs to have his own space to decompress without distraction and he also requires the dog to be with him to manage his emotions and comfort him. He will require a good night’s sleep so that he is ready for the next day. There will be friends and family that can relieve him from the hospital when he feels he is able to leave and go to the hotel to get rest. 

We are hoping that my recovery will be close to the average 3 months, but are prepared for the possibility that it may take 6 months. We understand the risks and challenging recovery that lays ahead of me, even if the surgery goes perfectly. Can you imagine how remarkable and pivotal this surgery will be? It will allow me to be out of bed! It will allow me to take over some of the responsibilities that are weighing heavily on Paul’s shoulders. It will give me so much more energy and lift me up so that I am able to help Paul with his PTSD. After three+ months, I’ll be able to get outside and work with the horses and help Paul with the acreage. We will be able to partner together. I will be able to manage more in a day, and we will be making steps forward instead of 3 steps back for every effortful step forward. I will be able to take a deep breath and feel empowered instead of weak. This may be only one piece of the puzzle, but I am confident that it will make a tremendous difference in both of our lives. 

We recognize the year ahead will be a time of healing. We don’t know what our future holds or how many more bridges we will have to cross to get to the other side of being healthy, able bodied and at peace of mind. But we have been here before; and we know  (deep down) that we will be stronger and more compassionate people because of it.

We are living one day at a time, sometimes just putting one foot in front of the other; dealing with what we can in each moment. At this time looking a year ahead is too far for us to know where we will be and what that will look like. We do know some things are always consistent in our story.

Those things that have been consistent are: the strength, acceptance and love we can draw from each other; the grounding and comfort we draw from our animals; and the support we have from a pocketful of close friends and family members. God is consistently in our lives: we know that He is walking alongside us in every step. We see Him in each other, in the nature that surrounds us, in friendships that He has given us, the many ways that He blesses us, and in our animals. But there are times when we cannot see Him, and there are times when we ask questions, get angry, and battle with Him; Crying out to Him: “Why? What is your will? What? What? What?

We are down-to-earth people that say it like it is. This may be refreshing, or you may find it offensive. We truly strive to treat others as Christ would, but we are human, and we make mistakes. We will be as genuine as possible. Consider yourself forewarned.   

We know that this is a HUGE ask. The burden of these extra expenses has been very stressful and all-consuming in our lives and with your help we would be able to focus on our healing so that we can move forward.

Remember that there are 4 ways to help us, all of them are very meaningful to us.

We are so grateful for all your support.

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We welcome you to follow us on our journey here on CoCo Pay. Just hit “Subscribe”.

 Jonke-Kilb and Paul Jonke

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We misunderstood that although the CoCoPay Platform is free for us to use, Paypal takes some of the money contributed to us :( If you are making a contribution and you know how to make an e-transfer we receive the full amount. The recipient is Paul Jonke and the e-mail address is jjk.openheart@gmail.com the money will be directly deposited into a separate account made solely for this fundraiser.

Our Support Circle has become so tiny, and we have lost contact with so many. One of the best ways you can make a difference is through simply Sharing our Campaign with others as far and fast as possible. Forward this CoCoPay through Facebook to your friends, family, and people we may know personally, then share it Publicly even 2x/wk for this push for my Heart Surgery. Use Instagram, e-mails, FB Messenger, text, and word of mouth. We are in need of the initial goal of $6,596 immediately for my Open-Heart Surgery so please help us get the word out there. Spread it like Peanut Butter! 😊

Know, without doubt, that we deeply appreciate for your support and contacts!

Paul & Jodi

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BREAKDOWN OF FUNDS

This list is simply to be transparent in where the funds are going to. Every dollar will be added together in one bank account and will build towards our fundraising goal.           

 Grand total to raise is $27,548