Meet the Hennessey Family

For the Hennessy family from Citrus Heights, life turned upside down in February. Nineteen-year-old Sarah—a ballerina, gymnastics coach, and math and engineering student—fell ill with what seemed like the flu. Within days, she was fighting for her life.

Diagnosed with Flu A, pneumonia, and Strep A, her body went septic, her heart function dropped to 25%, and she was rushed by ambulance from Sacramento to Santa Clara. ECMO kept her alive, but she suffered a spinal infarct—a stroke of the spine—that left her without voluntary movement in her lower left leg.

Through it all, Sarah’s parents, Maria and Dennis, never left her side. With two younger daughters back home, they were overwhelmed by the logistics, finances, and heartbreak of their new reality. That’s when an ICU nurse connected them to JW House.

At JW House, they found more than a place to sleep. They found a community. Warm meals, kind volunteers, and compassionate staff reminded them they weren’t alone. “When Sarah left the CVICU, everyone cheered for her,” Maria recalled.

But Sarah’s fight didn’t end there. In April, she developed severe depression tied to her spinal cord injury and stopped eating. By June, she was dangerously malnourished, her weight dropping to just 78 pounds—close to a fatal threshold. Only one hospital in the country could provide the care she needed, and Sarah was airlifted by medical transport to Denver, Colorado.

For 78 days, she fought through intensive treatment, slowly regaining strength and weight. Today, she is back near her pre-illness weight and is no longer reliant on pain medication thanks to her remarkable progress in physical therapy. She has traded her wheelchair for walking again—with Maria calling the speed of the recovery “miraculous.”

Now in residential care in Denver, Sarah continues to heal both physically and mentally. She’s walking more each day, even lifting her left leg into bed without using her hands. She’s eating again, finishing full meals and proudly earning 16 gold stars for hitting 100% of her nutrition goals.

Through it all, JW House has been a steady source of relief for The Hennessey family—offering a warm meal after long hospital days, a quiet space to rest, and a community that reminded them they didn’t have to carry this burden alone. When everything felt uncertain, JW House gave them stability, care, and a sense of home.

Sarah’s story is a powerful reminder of why JW House exists: to be there when families are facing their hardest battles—providing comfort, connection, and hope when it matters most.

Hennessey Family Update (11/25/25):

On November 25th, 2025, we celebrated an incredible milestone with the Hennessy family.

After 162 days away from home, Sarah was officially discharged this week—having reached all of her treatment goals, including weight restoration and full meal completion. She even slept in her own bed for the first time since Father’s Day.

Sarah will continue her journey with outpatient care, and we are so proud of her strength, resilience, and the hard work that led her here. Her progress is nothing short of inspiring.