ROSSVILLE, Kan. (WIBW) - A coffee shop in Rossville is brewing for a good cause, helping one
little boy fight a rare auto-immune disease.
Java for Jonah is being sold to help an 8 year old boy named
Jonah Slack whose family deserves the energy boost more than most.
"Jonah’s IgE should be 90 or less and
he's currently at 17,000,” said Jonah’s father Derek Slack.
8 year old Jonah and his parents have been put
through the ringer with medical issues since he was born.
"Honestly Jonah doesn't sleep hardly at
all, so we know if we complain about sleep how much more tired is he,” Derek
said.
Jonah has Hyper IgE Syndrome which makes him
allergic to everything. There could be other issues too, including a high risk
for cancer.
Mom Shawna Slack said Jonah’s constantly
experiencing itching that won't stop and a lot of pain throughout his body,
which keeps him from sleeping.
Jonah said right now his hands look fine, but
from his feet to his ankles, it’s not so good, and the medical treatments can
be pretty rough.
"Well each day I take a bath that has
bleach in it that just kills the bacteria on my skin,” Jonah said.
Treatments are also expensive. Jonah uses
different ointments, steroids, and light treatments to combat his skin
condition. He also sleeps in wet pajama's to help his skin absorb the moisture.
Derek said with the lack of sleep, the family
runs on a lot of steam, and that’s why coming to the local coffee shop is their
fuel pretty much every single day.
Family friend Sarene McCrory owns Grounded
Coffee House in Rossville and found the answer the Slacks have been looking
for.
"I just kind of had a God moment where it
hit me that okay you need to act on this, and so I told my husband okay this is
what’s going on, and this is what I'm thinking, this Java for Jonah just keeps
coming up, and running through my mind and we have to act on this,” McCrory
said.
The Java for Jonah coffee bags can hardly stay
stocked, with much of the Rossville community wanting to help out. Dad Derek
said it’s been an overwhelming happy surprise.
"To sit in here everyday and get to watch
people pick it up and buy it, it's humbling, each sip that I take it humbles
me, it really does, but it was a beautiful gesture,” Derek said.
To help support Jonah’s cause you can buy Java
for Jonah bag of coffee for $15 at Grounded Coffee House in Rossville. They are
open every day from 6:30 to 11:30 a.m.
You can now buy a bag of Java for Jonah coffee
online at:.
http://www.bluejazzjava.com/java-for-jonah-1-lb-coffee-buy-5-get-1-free/
You can also donate to Jonah's Gofundme page
at: https://www.gofundme.com/jonah-needs-our-help
