BBQ Dinner Fundraiser For Future Baby Finn

THIS IS NOT A DINNER TICKET! Please reach out to us, outside of Eventbrite, for tickets!

Join us for a BBQ Fundraiser to help raise funds for Jenna and Tyree's IVF Surrogacy Journey! Pick up or sit down to enjoy on January 10,2026 from 4-6pm at Whippoorwills (601 Old Lake Wales Rd, Bartow,FL 33830). The menu includes bbq chicken, baked beans, macaroni and cheese and roll and dessert for $25. We will also be having a 50/50 raffle. Cashapp, Venmo, cash and check accepted. Please reach out to Rhonda Waters at 863-698-3163 or Lacey McClenithan 863-528-6480 for tickets!

Please read their story below:

Baby Finn- IVF Surrogacy Journey!

Tyree & Jenna got married in 2023. Shortly after their wedding, 3 weeks to be exact- their world flipped upside down.

Jenna wasn’t feeling well ended up going to the emergency room a couple days later. There she found out she had a bad infection, was diabetic, in DKA & sepsis. She had to have multiple surgeries to try to get most of the infection out. After a week, she was finally moved out of ICU and into the Trama Unit. Shortly after that, on January 8, 2024, she had a pulmonary embolism (blood clot that saddled over both lungs) and Jenna went into cardiac arrest. A team of doctors and nurses started to perform CPR in the matter of seconds. Every time they brought her back, they would loose her again. They performed CPR for over 1.5 hours.

Multiple ribs and her sternum were broken, along with big digs in her chest from performing CPR. They took her back to ICU and performed life saving surgery to get the blood clots (PE) out. The surgery took over four hours and they said it was the largest clots they’ve seen! Basically at this point she was on life support and they gave her a 5% chance of surviving. Even with that percentage, they were not sure if she would have any brain function.

She was sedated to try to let her organs heal while on the ECMO machine. This was a newer machine at the hospital that they only had for a few months. There were only two in the entire hospital. She started to move her fingers and toes very minimally to our families talking to her days later. Still the doctors didn’t know if she was going to have any brain damage or going to be able to pull through. Five days later she woke up! She had no idea anything had happened and didn’t know where she was or even that her body shut down on her multiple times.

The doctors tell our family "Jenna’s kidneys are in failure and there is a very strong chance she’d would have to do dialysis for the rest of her life if she makes it through." When she woke up she had to learn everything over again. She couldn’t even hold a plastic spoon, her sight depth was way off, couldn’t walk, talking was a struggle, she basically needed to start from scratch.

Jenna stayed in the hospital for a few weeks. Her body was getting stronger but she was still unable to walk or do anything by herself. She was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital for three weeks where she was able to learn how to walk again & get some strength back!

Once released from the rehabilitation hospital, she moved back in with her parents so Tyree could try to work when he could. Thankfully her mom was taking care of her during the day & Tyree came over when he got off at night.

After five days of being out in the free world she started to get sick again. Jenna went back to the ER to get checked out and ended up being admitted again for another infection in her wound.

This time around they treated her infection and did wound care multiple times a day as they have been doing since it was needed. She made a comment about how her right leg felt tight and was bothering her. Jenna’s nurse put in an order for an ultrasound & they found another blood clot in her leg. Mind you it was only SIX weeks from when their world flipped upside down and she passed away multiple times from a blood clot.

They change some of her Medic*tion since the doctors did not understand why her body is still producing blood clots and she has been on Medic*tion to prevent that.

Jenna was again released from the hospital, not feeling so easy knowing there is one in her leg and how scary it is, especially from what she has already gone through. They prescribed her with a higher dosage of blood thinners in hopes it will do its job and prevent anymore from forming.

Months go by and Jenna is healed from her wound and trying to get back into “normal route”. She returned to work in June 2024, but everyday task for her are still very challenging.

Time goes on, her levels and everything are better. Tyree and Jenna are ready to start thinking about expanding their family. Jenna needed to get clearance from all of her doctors and to see their opinion. Her OB referred her to a high risk maternal and fetal medicine specialist. After they met with the specialist in April 2025, he determined it would be considered life threatening if she became pregnant since her body has already gone through so much and been through heart failure. The doctor said if they want a biological baby, having a surrogate will be their only option.

That was a hard pill to swallow. Everything she’s ever wanted was to became a momma and she knows Tyree would be the best dad. It felt like this was all ripped away. They’ve started doing some research and going to a fertility clinic to weigh out their options.

They will still need to go through with the IVF process. Jenna will have to undergo an egg retrieval procedure, then embryos would be created. Numerous test would need to be done first and there are a lot of steps to the process.

They have a wonderful surrogate in mind that has stepped up and is truly one of the strongest, most selfless person they know. Carrying their future baby is the greatest gift anyone could ever give.

With all of the challenges they have faced in these short couple years. Unfortunately funds aren’t what they used to be. With all of the hospital bills, rehabilitation hospital bills, medications, wound care supplies, rentals for wheel chairs/walkers, multiple doctors appointments (each week at times) from prior sickness, now adding fertility cost on top add up & they add up quick!

After all cost associated with an IVF surrogacy journey were estimated, it appears to be well over $100,000 to try to bring a Future Baby Finn into this world. We are sharing Tyree & Jenna’s story and what they have gone through in the past two years in hopes of your consideration of any donations if possible. They still have quite a patchy road ahead with multiple doctors appointments and medical care that will be needed. If you would like to purchase a BBQ dinner or even donate to help Tyree & Jenna it would be greatly appreciated!

Please keep them in your prayers as they go through this next chapter of their life.

“We will never find enough words to thank all of you! We love each and everyone of you! Life is good; God is Great!

~The Finn’s”

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Host or Publisher Lacey McClenithan