Justin's Journey Give
Justin Sanchez, seated in his wheelchair outside, holding his daughter as she kisses his cheek
Justin and his family, in their own videos

Boonton, New Jersey · Faith over fear

Justin's Journey Hope and Healing for Justin Sanchez

Justin is a husband and a father of four. On April 5, 2025, his heart stopped for 18 minutes. He is still here and still fighting, and his family is raising $40,000 for the next stage of his brain injury recovery.

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$30,970 raised of $40,000
Total on Justin's verified Help Hope Live campaign as of November 11, 2026. Help Hope Live is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. This site does not collect money.

Watch Justin Sanchez's story

"Have you ever prayed for a miracle?"

Stephanie put it all into three minutes: the hospital bed, relearning how to eat, the first shots with a basketball again, the dance floor, and the kids climbing into his lap.

It is set to music, so it is nicest with your sound on.

Next fundraiser

Harvest of Hope: a fall fundraiser and basket auction for Justin Sanchez

An afternoon of food, music and community with the Sanchez family, all in support of Justin's medical care and rehabilitation.

Get tickets Donate a basket
  • WhenSaturday, November 21, 2026, 1:00 PM
  • WhereBethany Community Center, 605 Pascack Road, Township of Washington, NJ 07676
  • TicketsAdults $35 · Children $15 (age 5 and up). Includes food, a soft drink and dessert. Basket auction tickets are sold separately.
  • Can't come?Give on the campaign page, or donate a gift basket or auction item. Both help.
Family portrait of Justin and Stephanie Sanchez with their two daughters, their son and their newborn baby, all dressed in white and black
Justin, Stephanie and their four children.

Before April 5

Who Justin Sanchez is

Justin worked hard to provide for his wife and four kids and still found time for everyone else. He taught children at his church's BCKids ministry, which was his favorite part of the week. He was a standout basketball player and a proud gymnastics and basketball dad, always there to cheer on his kids and their teammates.

His Puerto Rican roots always showed up on the dance floor.

He was also the dad who did his daughters' hair on meet days. His buns held better than any of the moms could manage, so when two friends ran a half marathon for him, they named their team Justin's Miracle Buns.

Their wedding, the kids as babies, family portraits, a jersey with SANCHEZ on the back. Stephanie made this for Justin's birthday, six months after his heart stopped.

What happened

Justin Sanchez's story: 18 minutes, and every day since

18minutes without a heartbeat
4months in the ICU and rehab
4young children at home

  1. April 5, 2025

    His heart stopped

    After a rare date night, Stephanie woke at 2 a.m. to Justin having a seizure beside her, their three-month-old baby asleep next to him. Then his heart stopped.

    He was down for 18 minutes and was shocked twice. He was in a coma and on a ventilator.

    Justin in an intensive care bed on a ventilator, surrounded by monitors
    Justin in intensive care.

  2. The first four months

    A month in the ICU, three more in rehab

    The odds were not in his favor. Family, friends, their church and the kids' gymnastics community carried them through it with prayers, meals and help with the children.

    Stephanie holding the baby, with their two daughters and son gathered around Justin in his wheelchair
    All six of them, together.

  3. Rehabilitation

    Relearning everything

    Justin had to relearn how to eat. He is working to stand, to walk and to shoot a basketball again, in physical, occupational and speech therapy.

    Justin standing in a body-weight support harness during physical therapy, with a therapist guiding him
    At work in physical therapy.

  4. Treatment

    Every door that opens

    Alongside daily therapy, Justin's family has pursued other treatments that might help his brain heal.

    Justin lying in a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, wearing an oxygen mask, hands folded on his chest
    In a hyperbaric oxygen chamber.
    Justin lying on a treatment table in a clinic while a clinician in a white coat and gloves treats him and a second clinician steadies his head
    During a treatment session.

  5. October 2025

    Home with his kids

    Six months after his heart stopped, Stephanie shared this photo for Justin's birthday: home, with all four children around him.

    "He's alive. He's here. That alone is a miracle," Stephanie wrote that day.

    Justin standing at home with a wide smile, his four children in front of him
    Home, with all four.
    Justin in a sweatshirt that says DAD, sitting in an armchair at home and kissing the top of the baby's head
    With the baby.

  6. Christmas

    Matching pajamas, all six

    The family took their Christmas photos together, with Dad in the middle of the picture.

    The whole Sanchez family in matching red pajamas in front of a Christmas garland: Justin seated in the middle with his son on his knee, his daughters beside him, and Stephanie holding the baby
    Justin, Stephanie and their four children.

  7. Today

    Still here, still fighting

    The injury still affects Justin's vision, memory, speech, balance and movement, and he cannot yet live on his own. His family sees him in there every day: moments of awareness, of connection, of the man they know.

    Justin is still here. He is still fighting. And we believe God is not finished with his story.
    Stephanie Sanchez, Justin's wife
    Justin in a blue hoodie leaning his head against his son's, both smiling, in a school gym
    With his son, May 2026.

Where your gift goes

The $40,000 goal for Justin's brain injury recovery

Justin's family wants to start an intensive neuroregeneration and rehabilitation program. It treats the brain as one connected network and works on movement, vision, thinking, balance and communication together.

$33,500

The program

The first two weeks of treatment, including neurological assessment and targeted therapy, followed by a structured program the family continues at home.

$6,500

Getting there, and what comes after

Travel, a place to stay during treatment, ongoing rehabilitation, and the other costs of long-term recovery care.

Give through Help Hope Live

Who you are helping

The Sanchez family

Justin smiling in the kitchen at home beside his two daughters, one of them holding the laughing baby on her lap
Justin and Stephanie holding the baby between them in front of their Christmas tree, all three in matching plaid
Justin seated in a school gym next to his daughter, who is perched on a table beside him
Justin in a suit standing beside his wife Stephanie, both smiling
Justin smiling as his two daughters kiss him on each cheek, in front of a Christmas tree
Justin outside in his wheelchair on a sunny day, with his two daughters beside him and his son peeking over his shoulder
The four Sanchez children outside: the two girls holding the baby, their brother smiling behind them

Family photos from 2025 and 2026.

Guestbook

Leave a message for Justin and his family

A prayer, a memory, a few words of encouragement. Your note goes up right away, and the family will see it.

Notes from friends and family

Be the first to leave Justin a note.

For businesses and organizations

Business sponsors and community partners for Justin's recovery

Justin spent years showing up for his church, his kids' teams and his neighbors. If your business, congregation or team wants to show up for him, here are three ways that make a real difference.

Make a tax-deductible gift

Gifts go to Help Hope Live, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, in honor of Justin. Your business gets a receipt from them, and many employers will match what their people give.

Donate a basket or auction item

Harvest of Hope on November 21 includes a basket auction. Gift cards, products, services and themed baskets are all welcome.

Rally your people

Share Justin's story with your staff, members or congregation, or host a give-back day in his honor.

Tell us how you would like to help

I would like to (pick any)

Only the family sees what you send here. Gifts of money go through Help Hope Live, never this form.

Prefer email? Write to hope@justinsjourney.org. Messages go straight to Stephanie.

How giving works

How to donate to Justin Sanchez through Help Hope Live

Justin's fundraiser is a verified campaign with Help Hope Live, a national nonprofit for medical fundraising.

Does this website take my donation?

No. This site never collects money. Every Give button opens Justin's campaign page on helphopelive.org, where Help Hope Live processes the gift securely.

Where does the money go?

Gifts are made to Help Hope Live's Mid-Atlantic Catastrophic Illness Fund in honor of Justin Sanchez. Help Hope Live holds the funds and uses them only for medical and related expenses. The full terms are at the bottom of this page.

Is my gift tax deductible?

Help Hope Live is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and it sends a receipt for every gift. Ask your tax advisor how that applies to you or your business.

Can I give by check?

Yes. Open the campaign page and choose "Mail a check" for the address and what to write on it. You can also call Help Hope Live at 800-642-8399.

How else can I help?

Pray for Justin. Share this page. Come to Harvest of Hope on November 21, or donate a basket for the auction. You can also leave the family a note in the guestbook or sign up for updates.

Stay close

Get updates on Justin's journey

News from the family about Justin's recovery, milestones worth celebrating and upcoming fundraisers, sent now and then by email. Unsubscribe any time with one click.

Your email is used only for these updates and is never shared or sold.

Justin Sanchez sitting on a bench outside, smiling, with his four children around him

Pray with us

Please keep Justin in your prayers

Pray for healing and strength, for wisdom for his medical team, and for doors to keep opening. Every prayer, every message and every act of kindness has carried this family.

"With God all things are possible."Matthew 19:26

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