In Memory of Our Jack's Fundraising Page

Jack hated flowers. Did you know that!?! He's going to have to indulge his mother during the funeral, but he was actually afraid of plants and flowers.  Just one of the many Jack-isms.

If he could tell you, he would say not to waste your money on those devilish things, but invest in making sure another child doesn't go through what he went through.

Jack was first diagnosed with leukemia at 5 years old. He went through the standard protocol for treatment which was over two long years. But alas, leukemia reared it's ugly head and was back at the age of 10. Standard protocol  treatment wasn't working this time, so a bone marrow transplant was scheduled. Thank you to Jan Theiss from Germany for his loving donation of bone marrow for Jack, as he gave us a few more years with him. 

After receiving a bone marrow transplant (BMT), it is very common to get graft vs. host disease (GVHD). GVHD is when the donor cells (graft) see your body as the threat, so they begin to attack and they recruit your immune system to help in the fight. For Jack (but not everyone), it was pretty extreme. Over the years, we believe GVHD went after his liver, his GI system, kidneys and his lungs, making all of his organs fragile. After getting pneumonia this past month, his poor little lungs just couldn't hold out for any more breathes.

So, we ask if you want to donate, please help us fight the battle of GVHD that often comes with a life-saving bone marrow transplant. Jack's BMT doctor, Christine Duncan, also researches GVHD and we would like to give her research a boost.

Dana-Farber provides expert, compassionate care to children and adults and is home to groundbreaking cancer discoveries. Since its founding in 1948, the Jimmy Fund has raised millions of dollars through thousands of community efforts to advance Dana-Farber’s mission.