Our History

Jill’s House is the living legacy of Jill Solomon, the daughter of Pastor Lon and Brenda Solomon. Jill was born with Dravet Syndrome, a rare seizure disorder.  She had her first seizure as a toddler. She lost abilities she once had, including her ability to speak, and the family lost all sense of normalcy. Her parents could no longer even take their sons out for pizza or cheer them on at their soccer games.

They were physically, mentally, and spiritually exhausted.

“God!” wept Brenda, “I am at the absolute end of myself! The only thing I ask is that You would use Jill in a mighty way; because this hurts so much, and I don’t want to waste this pain.”

Shortly after that prayer, a group of members of McLean Bible Church, where Lon was senior pastor, organized regular caregiving for Jill, providing life-giving rest for Lon and Brenda. Through this rest, they had the energy to make better decisions, spend time with their boys, and even take better care of Jill.

Respite gave them hope. It gave them life. Lon and Brenda knew they had to find a way to share this gift of rest with other families raising kids with intellectual disabilities, and so the idea for Jill’s House was born.