Framingham Law Firm Trying To Stop Eviction of Dad and Sick Daughter

A Framingham law firm will be in court Monday morning trying to stop the eviction of a single dad and his daughter, who suffers from “plastic bronchitis.”

“Ben Jackson is a single dad, who cares for his daughter Emma,” said lawyer Rich Vetstein, owner of Vetstein Law Group in Framingham.

Plastic bronchitis is a lymphatic flow disorder that causes severe respiratory issues. In children with plastic bronchitis, lymph fluid builds in the airways and forms rubbery or caulk-like plugs (known as casts). These casts block the airways, making it difficult to breathe.

When she can’t breathe, a trip to the emergency room is needed and last month, Emma had to spend several days in intensive care, explained Vetstein.

These medical episodes are expensive, he added.

“Ben has tapped out all his financial resources and is facing eviction,” Vetstein explained to Framingham Patch over the weekend.

Friday, Jackson went to court, as his own lawyer, and a judge denied his request to stop the eviction, explained Vetstein.

“I hope to file an emergency petition to stop the eviction on Monday morning,” Vetstein told Patch over the weekend. He is taking the case pro bono.

A GoFundMe account was set up by Jackson recently.

Almost 200 people donated more than $15,000 in two days, to help the single dad and his daughter, who lives in Natick.

Plastic bronchitis is most prevalent in patients with certain forms of congenital heart disease who have had the Fontan surgery and those with lymphatic abnormalities.

Emma’s health began to decline in October 2014.

Jackson wrote that he lost his job “largely because I missed work to care for her.”

In January, “Emma started a series of hospitalizations which continue to this day. Basically, every other week she’s been in Mass General Hospital with recurring drug-resistant pneumonia. She’ll start treatment with one medicine, and seven to 10 days later a bug resistant to the meds she’s on, moves in, and we start the cycle again,” wrote Jackson.

She was diagnosed with plastic bronchitis in April.

“Emma can’t speak, and these episodes occur any time of the day,” explained Jackson. “I have had to be with Emma at the hospital every moment. When she’s not inpatient, she has many outpatient appointments every week. So I can’t work. Anyone who knows me knows that I am not lazy. I’d love nothing more than to go to an office every day and have a healthy child. I can’t now, and I don’t know when I will be able to again.”

Jackson said he found out he was being evicted just last week.

He said he set up the GoFundMe as he needed help.

“We’ve applied for many benefits. I am continuing to do so. So far, we receive none. If I were disabled, we’d be ok. If Emma was an adult, we’d be ok. There is very little help for parents of disabled people,” wrote Jackson.