VIDEO: Strangers Fill Hospital Room with Balloons for Coronavirus Patient with Down Syndrome

Amy Furr

A man named Jesse Eischen, who has Down syndrome, has been recovering from the coronavirus at a hospital in Vancouver, Washington.

When a single balloon put a huge smile on his face, people sent him more balloons than he ever imagined, KGW 8 reported Monday.

John Scukanec, who is his brother-in-law, said Eischen is the kind of individual people want be around on a regular basis.

“He’s warm, he’s genuine, he’s loving, he does nothing but make people smile,” Scukanec explained. “It’s impossible to be around him and not have a smile on your face. He’s just a great kid.”

When Eischen developed a fever and had trouble breathing, family members took him to the hospital where he was diagnosed with the virus.

He was sent home to get better, but according to Scukanec, his symptoms grew worse and he was admitted to Legacy Salmon Creek.

“This morning, we got an update that he’s had a really good night and his numbers are looking good and he’s trending in the right direction. We’re hoping that it stays in that right trajectory, but it’s a little bit of a bumpy ride,” Scukanec noted.

Due to coronavirus protocols, Eischen is allowed one support person as a visitor, which has been hard.

His loved ones wanted to lift his spirits and knew one of his favorite things are balloons. Therefore, Scukanec’s wife, Heather, contacted the gift shop at the hospital and ordered one balloon for his room.

That seemed to be the answer they needed and his caregiver told the family it was the only thing that made him smile during his time in the hospital, according to Scukanec.

Once he posted on social media asking his followers to send additional balloons, his brother, radio host Jason Scukanec, shared the post and it was not long until Eischen’s room was packed with balloons.

“We got so many responses today we broke the gift shop at the hospital. They ran out of balloons,” Scukanec said in a post on Monday:

“Jesse was thrilled! So many people reached out with thoughts,prayers,balloons. Can’t thank you enough. He’s doing better tonight. Trending up!” he concluded.

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