Fighting Chance: Journeys Through Childhood Cancer by Harry Connolly; If I Get to Five by Dr. Fred Epstein; Childhood Cancer Survivors by Dr. James Metz; and The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein
Heroes
JAKOB PRESLEY ELLIS
Childhood Cancer Sucks!'s Details
Status:
Single
Zodiac Sign:
Virgo
Childhood Cancer Sucks! We're applying for 501(c)3 status and we'll be a full on foundation soon! Bigger better things for research!!! Posted at 8:33 PM Oct 18 view more
About me: My life has been touched numerous times by the horror of cancer, in family, friends, and even as close as my wife. I hate the disease more than anything else on this planet. Though it affected me, I've always chalked it up as being dealt a crappy hand in life. But in December of 2007, a week before Christmas, my two year old son was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoblastic lymphoma, and cancer touched me in new and horrible way. I'll never forget the feeling of sitting in that sterile room as the doctor sat in front of my wife and I and said the 'c' word. It was surreal.
When I realized that it wasn't a nightmare that I was going to wake from, I began to cope, and I began to notice that we weren't alone; there are thousands of children diagnosed with cancer every day. Fortunately, my son's prognosis was good. But there are so many others that aren't as lucky. It's one thing for an adult to have to endure cancer, but in most cases a child doesn't understand what's happening. They can't comprehend why they hurt. It doesn't seem fair that they can't play with other children when their immune system is weak. They don't understand why they don't have hair and why they have to wear a mask in public. And they definitely can't grasp the concept that they may not live to see their next birthday. It's a cruel injustice.
As I watched the children in the cancer ward celebrate the holidays, I also watched as a lawyer from a prominent firm in Kansas City dressed up as Santa (along with his legal aides dressed as elves) delivered tens of thousands of dollars worth of toys on Christmas morning. A day he could have been spending with his own family, watching his own children open expensive gifts, he gave of his own to ensure that a few bald kids could smile on that special morning. Even the hardest of hearts in the biggest Grinch (yes, myself) was broken. As I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, I resolved that if I had the chance, I would do whatever I could to help children just like my son.
I conceived the idea to hold a benefit concert, at first, just thinking I could round up a few local bands and put on a show in a bar or small club and maybe raise a couple hundred dollars for childhood cancer research. The plan was scrapped when I had to move from Kansas to Washington to be closer to a better medical facility. As fate would have it, I came in contact with the members of a local Seattle band, Guns Of Nevada, when I interviewed them for a local magazine. We became friends and I casually mentioned my failed plans one night to Earle Thunders, their lead singer, over drinks at his birthday party. We chatted lightly about it, but the subject was forgotten in the revelries of the evening. A few weeks later, Earle emailed me and told me that he wanted to help make this dream a reality. Along the way, we picked up April Brown, a true Godsend, and added her to the team. Now, that simple idea for a couple local bands playing in a little bar has absolutely snowballed. The possibility of being able to raise a few hundred bucks has grown in the possibility of being able to raise several thousand in one night, and every penny of it going to research for the cure.
How can you help? Keep watching this page. More news will be posted constantly about the benefit show. Make plans to attend. Soon, we'll have t-shirts, stickers, buttons and pins, and other merchandise, with all profits going towards childhood cancer research. Take it on yourself to donate your time, assets, and abilities. Together, we can help this come to fruition. Not for me, not for yourself, not for a write-off. Do it because it's right. Do it because it's the human thing to do. But most of all, do it because someday, maybe no parent will ever have to hear the words "It's cancer".
Who I'd like to meet: Survivors, family members of patients, the bereaved, sponsors for the benefit concert, donors, and the scientist that develops the cure!!!
ADD OUR BANNER TO YOUR PAGE!!!
Copy this code to your website to display this banner!
HappyBirthday
.gif)
