Update! 

Tomorrow is the big day. Jolly goes in for his procedure tomorrow afternoon to learn how he has healed and to see if he will be a candidate for reversal surgery. It’s been a wild ride of emotions to get here but he made it through. The daily mental health struggles continue and we’ve begrudgingly decided to reach back out to the VA and see if they’re able to accomplish anything sooner than community care has. It’s insane to me how difficult it’s been to get him into mental health care especially given the circumstances. He’s also continuing to struggle with gaining weight and loss of strength and absolutely needs physical therapy which I can’t fathom that he hasn’t been referred for yet. 

2025 marks 9 years Jolly has been sober from alcohol but he’s confided in me that these past few months have tested his sobriety more than anything prior. One day at a time feels impossible when some days don’t seem to ever end. The loneliness that set in this holiday season compounded the pain and it’s been a seemingly insurmountable experience. On top of the physical and mental health challenges, Jolly has been really struggling with sleep. Most days he’s only able to get a few hours at night and then he dozes on and off throughout the day.

But…I’d be remiss not to mention the moments of joy we’ve had too. For the last week we’ve had the beautiful opportunity to escape to the wonderful and magical world of Oz and forget our troubles if only for a brief few moments. I didn’t know a movie was capable of bringing so much joy and so much hope but here we are. With this newfound light that has ignited within Jolly I feel like he’s found a new calling to continue dancing through life so that at the end of all this maybe he can find his wings and defy gravity. I can’t express enough how much inclusion matters in filmmaking. Last night we caught a few minutes of the Golden Globes and were fortunate enough to hear Sebastian Stan’s acceptance speech. He spoke of disability and said “Our ignorance and discomfort around disability and disfigurement has to end now. We have to normalize it and continue to expose ourselves to it and our children to encourage acceptance. One way we can do that is by continuing to champion stories that are inclusive.” What an incredibly beautiful and powerful way to use your platform! Before this experience these past few months I never fully grasped how much inclusive storytelling was truly life changing but seeing the impact that Wicked has had in our home has opened my eyes so much. My husband is signing again for the first time since surgery and that’s a beautiful thing. 

Please keep him in your prayers for tomorrow. When we get the results and know our path forward I will share another update. Thank you for the continued love and support. It means more than words. 

With love and light,

Ash