Zoe's Turning 18 Fundraiser's Fundraising Page

Thank you for visiting my Giving Page to support cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund.

My name is  Zoe Kaplan and I was diagnosed with brain cancer when I was 12 years old. My diagnosis was a huge surprise for my family and it impacted all of us in many different ways.

I had brain surgery shortly after I was diagnosed, where the surgeon was able to remove 20% of my tumor. For the next 2 years I endured four more surgeries and 14 months of chemotherapy. As I fought, I was balancing school as well. I could not handle any extracurriculars as going to school was tiring enough for me. I missed out on events that I had been looking forward to like my B'nai Mitzvah and going to Washington D.C. with classmates.

Luckily, almost 6 years later I am healthy and able to do everything I want to do. I am so grateful for the Jimmy Fund and all that they have done for me. Every single person that cared for me was so kind and understanding. I could not have gotten through this challenging time without all of them.

This year I will  turn 18 and I knew I wanted to do something to show how grateful I am for the the Jimmy Fund and Dana Farber Cancer Institute. Covid 19  has challenged us in many ways and I know that the Jimmy Fund needs support. Childhood cancer receives less than 4% of research funding. These kids battling cancer can all use support. I urge you to donate to this cause if you can. I am incredibly lucky that I am able to live a healthy, full life after cancer. My birthday wish is to provide hope and help others get healthy, too.