Founded by Melinda French Gates, Pivotal Ventures accelerates social progress by removing barriers that hold people back.

©$year Pivotal Ventures, A Melinda French Gates Company

Caring for Each Other: The Jones Family

Produced in partnership with Women Photograph, our "Caring for Each Other" photo series aims to shine a light on the experiences of unpaid caregivers who often go unseen as they navigate one of the most complex jobs of all. 

Share this

Dana Jones, a single mother of two, works around the clock to care for her daughters, both of whom were born with sickle cell disease. Since their birth, Dana has been a tireless caretaker, chronicling thousands of doctor visits with notes kept in thick binders, tracking the girls’ medications, sleeping beside them in hospital rooms, advocating for them at school, and monitoring them on camera in case of seizures.  

A 40-year-old woman stands in the kitchen helping her 17-year-old daughter, seated, to apply fake eyelashes.

Photo by Ilana Panich-Linsman for Pivotal Ventures

Single mother Dana Jones, 40, helps her older daughter Kami, 17, apply fake eyelashes before a modeling meetup. In addition to being an excellent student (she is headed to the University of Texas at Austin with a scholarship in Fall 2022), Kami is also an aspiring model who was invited to be part of New York Fashion Week.

A 40-year-old woman bends down to give an IV to her 16-year-old daughter, who is sitting on a bed in their home.

Photo by Ilana Panich-Linsman for Pivotal Ventures

Dana gives her younger daughter, Kyra, 16, an IV with fluids to keep her hydrated. Kyra had just gotten home from the hospital the day before, and is in intense pain; she wants to go back. But her mother reminds her that since it’s her chronic pain acting up, not acute pain from her sickle cell disease, there’s nothing more the doctors can do for her right now. Plus, going to the hospital means risking Covid exposure.

A 40-year-old woman sorts through a pile of mail.

Photo by Ilana Panich-Linsman for Pivotal Ventures

Dana sorts through mail, most of which is related to her daughters' medical bills.

A 17-year-old girl holds a small dog in her arms as she stands in the kitchen talking to her 40-year-old mother, who is cooking.

Photo by Ilana Panich-Linsman for Pivotal Ventures

Kami holds Luna, one of the family's dogs, as she speaks with her mother, who is cooking for her. 

A 40-year-old woman reaches out to touch her 16-year-old daughter, who lies in bed under a blanket.

Photo by Ilana Panich-Linsman for Pivotal Ventures

Dana worries over Kyra, and wonders if she’ll need to take tomorrow off from work to care for her. 

We invite you to explore the stories of other incredible families:

Share this

Founded by Melinda French Gates, Pivotal Ventures accelerates social progress by removing barriers that hold people back.

Since Melinda French Gates founded Pivotal Ventures in 2015, we have used different kinds of funding to achieve our mission to advance social progress, including venture capital investments, advocacy funding, and philanthropic grantmaking. In 2022, Melinda formed Pivotal Philanthropies Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, to support philanthropic grantmaking and help facilitate this flexible approach to driving impact.

©$year Pivotal Ventures, A Melinda French Gates Company

 blank image