Jake is a 17 year old boy who currently is a junior at Lindbergh High School. In late November 2008, Jake noticed an odd feeling in his right arm during a winter lacrosse practice. He went to the doctor for what he thought was a torn muscle. However, the tests showed that he actually had a tumor and was officially diagnosed in January 2009 with osteosarcoma, a rare and aggressive form of bone cancer. Jake spent the next year in and out of the hospital undergoing 22 rounds of chemo as well as a limb salvage surgery on his upper right arm. By the end of October 2010, Jake had finished his treatment plan and entered into remission. Sadly, routine tests in June 2010 showed new growths in his right lung meaning the cancer had returned. By mid July Jake underwent a thoracotomy, which is a surgery that opens the chest cavity for the surgeon to explore and remove a piece of his lung. A few weeks later, he received cyberknife radiation at SLU, began a new type of chemo at Cardinal Glennon, and started an experimental drug through M.D. Anderson in Houston, Texas. Recent routine tests this past month showed more growths in his lungs and his right leg. Due to the continued growth, Jake's chemo was stopped and he was removed from the experimental drug program. Last week the doctors decided to begin a new treatment plan including 2 new types of chemo, 3 weeks of radiation, and a drug that will target his blood capillaries.
Jake does not let his cancer get the best of him. He is a huge sports fan. Although he is no longer able to play lacrosse and football, he helps coach youth lacrosse and enjoys hanging out on the sidelines for games. In the summer he volunteers at Camp Rainbow, a camp for children with cancer, as a counselor. He is working hard to keep caught up in school, even when he cannot make it for weeks at a time. Jake loves flying planes and hopes to become an aerospace engineer.
Jake's treatment options are becoming more limited. Research in Jake's type of cancer is desperately needed. Currently the St. Baldrick's Foundation funds 3 studies on late stages of osetosarcoma. Results from these studies could greatly benefit children in Jake's situation.
We are shaving our heads in solidarity with children who have cancer, like Jake, and typically lose their hair during treatment, while raising critical funds for childhood cancer research! Please make a donation on our behalf to support childhood cancer research so that all children diagnosed with cancer will have a better chance for a cure.
To make a donation, click on "Make A Donation" or donate by mail or phone.
Thank you for your support!
