Keeping a Family Together: The McTaggarts’ Journey with Jude

Martin and Jamie McTaggart looked forward to welcoming twins, Jude and Robin, and growing their family alongside their 7-year-old son, Daniel. But around 20 weeks into the pregnancy, their excitement turned to uncertainty. After an initial misdiagnosis, further testing revealed that Jude had Chiari II malformation, Spina Bifida, and a congenital brain and spinal defect that would require significant medical care.

The challenges began immediately after his birth, and thankfully, JW House was there. Jude was delivered by emergency C-section at Kaiser Santa Clara in respiratory failure and was taken directly into surgery to close the opening in his spine. While his twin sister, Robin, was healthy, Jude’s first months of life were spent in the hospital. Over the next nine months, he underwent four brain surgeries, experienced several life-threatening events, and eventually required a tracheostomy and ventilator support. Through it all, Jude continued to defy expectations. “We were shocked by how tough and resilient Jude is,” Martin shared.

While Jude fought through one medical crisis after another, the McTaggart family faced a different challenge: how to stay connected as a family while their lives revolved around the hospital. A Kaiser social worker referred the family to JW House before Jude was born. Although they didn’t think they would need the resource, they soon discovered just how important it would become.

The McTaggarts used our Day-Use, Overnight lodging, and Dinner Is Served (DIS) programs, giving them somewhere to rest, share a meal, and step away from the hospital without being far from Jude. Most importantly, JW House allowed the family to remain connected and able to care for one another. When Martin’s mother traveled from Ireland to help the family, she was able to stay at JW House for 10 days, and remain close by.

With Jude hospitalized, the family experienced multiple holidays and milestones separated from one another. Being able to spend Thanksgiving together at JW House gave them something they desperately needed: a sense of normalcy. They even connected with another family at JW House experiencing their own medical journey, sharing an understanding that required no explanation.

Jude has been out of the hospital for several weeks—the longest stretch since his birth—and is relying on fewer medications. Now at home, he requires 24/7 nursing support, a ventilator, ongoing care from a team of specialists, and future surgeries may still be necessary.

For the McTaggarts, JW House has provided more than a place to eat or rest; it was a ‘home away from home’. It gave their family a safe space, a sense of normalcy, and the ability to stay close during one of the most challenging periods of their lives. “We can’t imagine navigating this journey without JW House,” Martin said. “Not having this resource would have made it extremely difficult.”

Jude’s medical journey is far from over, but his family is excited for the future. After months of separation and uncertainty, Jude, Robin, and Daniel are finally home together as siblings again. Jude is developing his own adorable personality and showing everyone that he has plenty of fight left in him. His family calls this his “just watch me now”era.

Through every setback, your support helped the McTaggarts remain close when they needed each other most. Your contributions to JW House gave them a place to rest, a meal to share, and the precious gift of being together.