For more than a year, Jordi Kubala Spears has been fighting a medical battle that no one has been able to explain.
The 32-year-old, who grew up in Liberty before her family moved to Anahuac when she was 17, has spent the past 16 months in and out of hospitals as doctors search for answers. Despite extensive testing, consultations with specialists and repeated hospitalizations, the cause of her declining health remains unknown.
Now, with physicians turning to the Mayo Clinic for help, family, friends and fellow first responders are rallying around the young wife and mother through a benefit called “Jordi’s Journey.”
Jordi is the daughter of Ronald and Andra Kubala of Anahuac and the wife of Baytown firefighter Brandon Spears. The couple, who live in Crosby with their two young children, Harmony, 10, and Hayden, 9, have found themselves facing not only an uncertain medical future but also mounting financial challenges.
According to her mother, Andra Kubala, Jordi’s ordeal began in March 2025 when she suffered a pulmonary embolism. Jordi’s condition makes it challenging for her to talk more than five minutes, so her mother is speaking on her behalf.
During her treatment, physicians noticed abnormal liver enzyme levels that could not be explained.
“As time went on, they realized it wasn’t just her liver,” Kubala said. “Now it’s her heart and her liver, but they still can’t figure out what’s causing it.”
Since then, Jordi has undergone what her mother described as a battery of tests and procedures at multiple hospitals, including St. Luke’s, Memorial Hermann, UTMB and Houston Methodist.
“I would say she’s been in and out of the hospital at least 20 times,” Kubala said. “Every test they’ve run, every procedure they’ve done, they still have no clue what’s causing all of this.”
The uncertainty has been one of the hardest things for the family to endure.
“She’s only 32 years old,” Kubala said. “As a mom, it’s extremely scary. This is my child, and I’m ready to storm the gates and find out what’s wrong, and I can’t do that.”
Her medical team has now begun working with the Mayo Clinic in hopes of identifying the illness. Depending on the recommendations from specialists, Jordi may need to travel to Arizona for further evaluation and treatment.
The family’s financial burden has grown alongside the medical uncertainty.
Unable to continue working for United Airlines because of her illness, Jordi lost the insurance coverage she previously relied on. Although Brandon has health insurance through his employer, the family’s out-of-pocket medical expenses continue to mount, and additional costs are expected if she must travel for specialized care.
“There’s no money, and now we’re looking at the Mayo Clinic, and that’s going to cost money, too,” Kubala said. “That’s why we’re having the benefit—to help take care of her health and these medical bills.”
Friends, family members and peers of the Baytown firefighting community are hoping to ease some of that burden during the July 18 fundraiser.
The benefit will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 18, in the Lone Star Room at Baytown City Hall, 2407 Market St. in Baytown. The event will feature a fish fry, bake sale, silent auction and raffle.
One of the raffle’s biggest prizes is a 2026 Jeep Compass donated by Wischnewsky Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Baytown. Organizers said only 1,000 raffle tickets will be sold.
All proceeds from the event will go directly to Jordi, Brandon and their children as they continue searching for answers.
For Kubala, however, the fundraiser represents more than financial support. It is a reminder that her daughter’s community has not forgotten her.
“We called it ‘Jordi’s Journey’ because that’s exactly what this is,” she said. “We’re on a medical journey that we have no clue where it’s leads. God’s in control, and we’re just going to keep stepping in faith and following Him.”
For more information about the benefit, contact Andra Kubala at 832-338-7359 or Amanda Menendez at Amanda.menendez25@gmail.com.