Jakes Cancer Relief Fund

On March 11, 2017, Jake van Veen went to the doctor for an X-ray to identify the leg pain he had been experiencing for several months. It was expected to be nothing more than a torn muscle or maybe an old fracture. Only to find out a few days later that there was a bone tumor in his right femur. After learning of Jake's tumor, the following two weeks of testing were a nightmare for Jake's friends and family. On March 27, 2017, he was given a diagnosis that would change everything. At 22 years old Jake was told he had Osteosarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. The doctors at Yale New Haven Hospital swiftly formulated a treatment plan for Jake that involves intense inpatient chemotherapy, resection surgery, and then more post-op chemotherapy. Jake has already begun his chemo treatments. His doctors are hopeful that this treatment will arrest the cancer cells, and produce positive results. But there is a still long and uncertain road ahead of him.
      The question "why do bad things happen to good people?" does not even begin to cover the karmic wrongness of Jake's circumstance. Being an amazing father to a beautiful two-year-old girl named Ava and a loving partner to his high school sweetheart Erin, should have made him exempt from the pain and suffering he is currently enduring. Anyone that knows Jake personally will tell you that he is a clever, strong, and good-humored man. He gives his time and kindness generously whether it is to his daughter who he adores more than life itself, or to the children that he cares for at Trinity Church. Jake also loved his job as a bartender at Buffalo Wild Wings in Stamford, CT. But sadly won't be able to return to work for the duration of his treatment.  It is in times like these that we are grateful for Jake's childlike charm and optimistic outlook. After all, he has been through he still jokes that maybe chemo will give him superpowers because that's just the type of guy he is...
          As if Jake's diagnosis wasn't enough, he and his family now face the financial burden of his treatment. Loss of income, insurance deductibles, physical therapy costs, and the demands of raising a two-year-old, threaten this small family's financial security. We ask you to help Jake and his family in their time of need. Know that anything you are able to give is appreciated by Jake's friends and family immensely. We also ask that along with your generosity, you keep Jake in your prayers.