Dance-a-thon to support Wozniak family
The dance community has found a fun way to support a local family in their time of need. Jessica Wozniak is a dance instructor at Uplifting Movement Factory (UMF) in Loyal and her daughter Jade attends dance classes there. Jessica and her husband Steve, a Greenwood graduate, have a 10-month-old son named Malachi. Born premature, Malachi has faced ongoing health issues.
UMF will host a dance-a-thon April 22 with 12 hours of continuous dancing to raise money for the Wozniak family.
“It feels really good to have the support of our dance family,” said Jessica, who started teaching at UMF last year. “Being new to the community, not everyone knows us, so it’s neat that they were still so willing to support us by doing this.”
Last May, Jessica and Steve went in for Jessica’s monthly checkup. They were given news that Jessica had a condition called preeclampsia, a high blood pressure disorder that can occur during pregnancy.
On June 7, Jessica went in for a follow-up appointment and ultrasound. The doctors notified her that she would be admitted to the hospital immediately to hopefully make it through the pregnancy on bed rest. Jessica said the doctors were concerned about both her and Malachi’s safety and wanted her to stay at the hospital through the 34th week of pregnancy.
“We were hoping for six weeks, but I made it five days,” said Jessica.
On June 12, Jessica was rushed for an emergency C-section at 11:45 a.m.
After 28 weeks and five days of pregnancy, Malachi was born weighing 1 pound, 13 ounces and measuring 13 inches long. He was taken straight to the newborn intensive care unit, where he received around-the-clock care for his body that was still developing. He was put on an oscillator to help him breathe, and remained on the oscillator for the first 38 days of his life. During that time, Jessica, Steve and their daughter Jade were unable to hold Malachi due to the oscillator and Malachi’s fragile state.
After the oscillator was removed, doctors placed Malachi on a conditional ventilator to help him start the process of breathing on his own. After Malachi was taken off the oscillator, Jessica and Steve were able to hold their son for the first time. Malachi made it six days before a complication forced him to be put back on the oscillator for five more weeks.
Around Aug. 24, Malachi was able to go back on the conditional ventilator and get his tube from the oscillator taken out. A series of surgeries to counter multiple medical issues ensued in the following weeks. Malachi has had four surgeries in his young life so far.
On Oct. 10, the Wozniaks had a decision to make. They could leave Malachi in the hospital for a year or longer on the oscillator and eventually have a tracheostomy put in to assist Malachi in his breathing, or they could have a tracheostomy put in right away to help him breathe with the idea that he might be able to go home sometime over the next couple of months. They decided to have the tracheostomy put in and wait patiently for doctors to give the go-ahead to take Malachi home.
After several setbacks, Malachi was finally able to come home March 13, much to the joy of his family. He now weighs 14 pounds. With his tracheostomy and gastronomy tube for nutrition, he requires round-the-clock nursing care. Jessica said children who have had similar conditions as Malachi usually have tracheostomy removed by age 7, but it could be sooner or later depending on his individual progress.
Steve and Jessica recently made the decision to sell their home in Colby and buy a larger one in Stetsonville to better meet Malachi’s needs, including space for his medical equipment. They moved a week before Malachi came home.
“We miss our house in Colby but we are just glad we found this one in time and it worked out,” said Jessica.
For the Wozniaks, it’s been a journey of adjusting to caring for a child with significant medical needs while keeping up with everything else they have going on in their lives. Jessica is a guidance counselor at Abbotsford Elementary School and Steve is the principal at Colby High School. Steve also coaches middle school football and varsity wrestling, and Jade is involved in extracurricular activities. Community support has gone a long way in helping the family through a challenging time.
“People have been really helpful. Our good friends watched Jade so we were able to visit Malachi at the hospital,” Jessica said. “My parents were able to come out. They were here for two months from California to help. A lot of people from the community brought meals for our family.”
Also back in October, student groups from the Colby and Abbotsford school districts joined together to host a walk-a-thon to support the Wozniaks.
With Malachi recently coming home, it got UMF dance studio owner Holly Stanley thinking about what the studio could do to support the family in this new phase of life.
“As a dance family, we wanted to support Jessica however we could. They need our support now more than ever,” said Stanley. “When I saw they (the Colby/ Abby community) did a walk-a-thon, I thought, ‘What could we do? Why not a dance-a-thon?’” The rest of studio was happy to get on board with the idea.
The event will take place from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. April 22, at the UMF studio, 521 N. Main St., Loyal. It is open to the public. Dancers can collect hourly pledges from friends and family members for each hour they plan to dance that day.
Stanley plans to host themed hours throughout the day — for example, 1980s power hour, 70s disco or dancing in the style of a certain pop performer. The public is invited to to participate in dance classes led by Stanley, available by purchasing a VIP ticket. For more information, contact 715-5031082 or email Samantha Roman at manager@umfstudio. com.
“It should be a fun day full of dancing, smiles, supporting each other — all things uplifting,” said Stanley.
There are ways to support the event even if you have two left feet. Sub sandwiches, snacks, desserts and beverages will be available for purchase. People may make a donation toward purchasing food for the event. They can also sponsor a VIP ticket to allow someone else to attend a dance class for free.
All proceeds will go to support the Wozniak family.
People may also donate directly to the Wozniak family by making a check out to Jessica Wozniak. Donations can be dropped off at the studio, which is open Monday through Thursday from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., or you can find Jessica on Venmo at @jessicaboston.
Stanley is using her platform as Miss Marathon County 2023 to promote the event and is excited to give back.
“It’s important to me to support people I know as much as possible, because they’re part of our dance family,” said Stanley. “It’s a great way to show some love and show that we care.”
