When Jack Gorman began preparing for his bar mitzvah, the plan was simple and expected: the celebration would take place in Milwaukee, where he lives with his parents and older brother. But as the Jan. 24 date grew closer, life shifted in ways no one could have anticipated—and a 12½-year-old boy made a decision that would reshape the entire celebration.
Both sets of Jack’s grandparents live in St. Louis, a city that has long been the heart of the Gorman family. But travel had become increasingly difficult for them. Jack’s paternal grandfather, Alan Gorman, lives with Parkinson’s disease. His paternal grandmother, Shirley—known lovingly as “Baba”—had been hospitalized in October after a severe reaction to medication following sinus surgery, landing her in intensive care and leaving her unable to walk for weeks. On Jack’s other side, his maternal grandfather, Rick Glassman, was also facing health challenges that made traveling very difficult for him and his wife, Judy (aka grandma Mimi).
From a hospital bed in St. Louis, Shirley received a phone call she will never forget…