#BraveForDave Fight Against Cancer
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We are brave in support. We are brave in hope.
We are #BraveForDave.
In March David Jacobson (Dave) landed in the ER after collapsing while picking up his children at school. This came after months of searching for an answer to why he was not feeling well... Dave fractured and broke his leg in multiple places, and after a few hours in the hospital began losing feeling from his chest-region down because of commpression on his spinal cord.
After numerous tests, surgery, and biopsies, Dave was finally diagnosed as being in advanced Stage 4 of a very rare cancer called "Double Hit Lymphoma (DHL).” Aspects of Double Hit Lymphoma (DHL) have only recently been recognized and many doctors are still learning how to test for and treat this aggressive and rare lymphoma (cancer of the blood and lymph system). In addition to his cancer diagnosis, the compression was discovered to be a fast growing tumor that was closing the channel his spinal cord runs through, causing paralysis. This paralysis has complicated matters greatly, severely limiting normal mobility or control of his body from his chest down.
The ER doctors and neurosurgeons initially told Dave he would never walk again, but he is already showing dramatic progress through painful and intensive physical therapy and willpower. He is fighting hard to prove them wrong!
What is driving him? His family and loved ones. Upon meeting him, most would assume “Big Dave” got his nickname due to his stature, but after a few minutes, one would quickly discover his nickname describes his big personality that easily lights up a room with laughter and his even bigger heart that is always ready to serve others.
Now, we have an opportunity to serve Dave and his family with some of that big light, big love, and big support Dave is known for. It’s time for us to be brave for Dave.
Dave has a beautiful loving wife, Jodee, and four amazing kids – Owen, 7; Isabella, 9; Kaden, 12; Emalee, 14. Dave and Jodee have devoted their lives to giving back to their community and focusing their professional lives on the education of our youth. They met almost 20 years ago as special education teachers, helping children with disabilities. Dave recently finished his EdD, working for years to finish his doctorate--All while commuting two hours each way, working a full-time job as the Assistant Director of HR for the Lake Washington School district, and, with Jodee, raising his 4 beautiful children, 2 dogs, and 2 cats.
Dave has been doing anything and everything asked of him, fighting desperately to live life fully and be here to see his beautiful family grow up. He is a survivor and has steeled himself for the battle of his life. We hope that with the love, support, and prayers of his friends and family, the help of his amazing doctors, and the extensive allopathic and holistic work Dave is doing for healing, he will overcome all his current health obstacles.
Dave began the fight for his life prior to landing in the ER...
This past year, Dave witnessed his mom almost die of a sudden massive stroke. She now requires 24-hour nursing attention. In addition to lovingly supporting and taking care of his mom, who lives over two hours from his home, Dave started experiencing a major degradation of his own health. For seven months, he endured extraordinary fatigue, significant weight loss, chronic pain, very low platelets, severe anemia, and blood related infections and swelling. Despite countless tests, hospital visits, and even a painful bone marrow biopsy, and analysis by multiple specialists, Dave’s doctors were unable to determine the cause of issues.
Two days prior to Dave landing in the ER, Jodee's father unexpectedly passed away further compounding this season of challenge for his family... Throughout this time, Dave never complained and hardly shared his struggle with friends and family, keeping his chin up while continuing to work his full time job, commuting for hours, visiting his mom daily in the nursing home, and still being there, with his usual hilarious humor, for his friends and family alike.
For now, every day is a new and challenging day.
Dave was immediately put through aggressive radiation and chemotherapy in Seattle - the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, through the University of Washington Medical Center. Thankfully, this is one of the best cancer centers in the world. His doctors' treatment plan is to have Dave undergo multiple rounds (minimum of 6) of high-does chemotherapy and then potentially blood marrow or stem cell transplantation, if he qualifies for these advanced treatments to save his life.
In between in-patient rounds of Chemo at UW, Dave transfers to a rehabilitation specialty hospital in Snoqualmie to receive daily physical therapy and medicine to help rebuild his blood and prepare him for the next round of chemo. These rounds go in 3 week cycles of chemo, recovery, repeat. Though grueling, little by little, Dave is showing significant improvement in his mobility and control over his hips, legs, feet and is even working to be able to stand.
The reality is that is it a long road back to health for Dave. While several vertebrae are still fractured (tests showed 4 additional pathologic fractures) and with the
tumor compression of his spine, we all have hope and faith that he will eventually regain mobility. His body is responding to the chemo, but we will not know its true effectiveness until right before his 4th round of chemo currently scheduled for near the end of May.
How to be brave for Dave?
"Whatever is on your heart, do it."
1. Continue sending your positivity/prayers/blessings - no matter your beliefs, please know Dave is open to receiving your love.
2. If you are able, please donate towards the massive additional financial expense and medical bills Dave and the family are incurring through this season of life. This can be done either through this gofundme site, or through Dave or Jodee's shared leave program
3. You are welcome to email encouraging letters and videos from you (especially if they'll make Dave smile/laugh) to [email redacted].
4. Most importantly, please share this GoFundMe page so we can support Dave as he has always supported so many of us.
Thank you for your prayers, support, and positive energy to Dave.
We will be sending updates on his progress throughout each round of checmo as we all travel this journey with Dave.
We are #BraveForDave.
In March David Jacobson (Dave) landed in the ER after collapsing while picking up his children at school. This came after months of searching for an answer to why he was not feeling well... Dave fractured and broke his leg in multiple places, and after a few hours in the hospital began losing feeling from his chest-region down because of commpression on his spinal cord.
After numerous tests, surgery, and biopsies, Dave was finally diagnosed as being in advanced Stage 4 of a very rare cancer called "Double Hit Lymphoma (DHL).” Aspects of Double Hit Lymphoma (DHL) have only recently been recognized and many doctors are still learning how to test for and treat this aggressive and rare lymphoma (cancer of the blood and lymph system). In addition to his cancer diagnosis, the compression was discovered to be a fast growing tumor that was closing the channel his spinal cord runs through, causing paralysis. This paralysis has complicated matters greatly, severely limiting normal mobility or control of his body from his chest down.
The ER doctors and neurosurgeons initially told Dave he would never walk again, but he is already showing dramatic progress through painful and intensive physical therapy and willpower. He is fighting hard to prove them wrong!
What is driving him? His family and loved ones. Upon meeting him, most would assume “Big Dave” got his nickname due to his stature, but after a few minutes, one would quickly discover his nickname describes his big personality that easily lights up a room with laughter and his even bigger heart that is always ready to serve others.
Now, we have an opportunity to serve Dave and his family with some of that big light, big love, and big support Dave is known for. It’s time for us to be brave for Dave.
Dave has a beautiful loving wife, Jodee, and four amazing kids – Owen, 7; Isabella, 9; Kaden, 12; Emalee, 14. Dave and Jodee have devoted their lives to giving back to their community and focusing their professional lives on the education of our youth. They met almost 20 years ago as special education teachers, helping children with disabilities. Dave recently finished his EdD, working for years to finish his doctorate--All while commuting two hours each way, working a full-time job as the Assistant Director of HR for the Lake Washington School district, and, with Jodee, raising his 4 beautiful children, 2 dogs, and 2 cats.
Dave has been doing anything and everything asked of him, fighting desperately to live life fully and be here to see his beautiful family grow up. He is a survivor and has steeled himself for the battle of his life. We hope that with the love, support, and prayers of his friends and family, the help of his amazing doctors, and the extensive allopathic and holistic work Dave is doing for healing, he will overcome all his current health obstacles.
Dave began the fight for his life prior to landing in the ER...
This past year, Dave witnessed his mom almost die of a sudden massive stroke. She now requires 24-hour nursing attention. In addition to lovingly supporting and taking care of his mom, who lives over two hours from his home, Dave started experiencing a major degradation of his own health. For seven months, he endured extraordinary fatigue, significant weight loss, chronic pain, very low platelets, severe anemia, and blood related infections and swelling. Despite countless tests, hospital visits, and even a painful bone marrow biopsy, and analysis by multiple specialists, Dave’s doctors were unable to determine the cause of issues.
Two days prior to Dave landing in the ER, Jodee's father unexpectedly passed away further compounding this season of challenge for his family... Throughout this time, Dave never complained and hardly shared his struggle with friends and family, keeping his chin up while continuing to work his full time job, commuting for hours, visiting his mom daily in the nursing home, and still being there, with his usual hilarious humor, for his friends and family alike.
For now, every day is a new and challenging day.
Dave was immediately put through aggressive radiation and chemotherapy in Seattle - the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, through the University of Washington Medical Center. Thankfully, this is one of the best cancer centers in the world. His doctors' treatment plan is to have Dave undergo multiple rounds (minimum of 6) of high-does chemotherapy and then potentially blood marrow or stem cell transplantation, if he qualifies for these advanced treatments to save his life.
In between in-patient rounds of Chemo at UW, Dave transfers to a rehabilitation specialty hospital in Snoqualmie to receive daily physical therapy and medicine to help rebuild his blood and prepare him for the next round of chemo. These rounds go in 3 week cycles of chemo, recovery, repeat. Though grueling, little by little, Dave is showing significant improvement in his mobility and control over his hips, legs, feet and is even working to be able to stand.
The reality is that is it a long road back to health for Dave. While several vertebrae are still fractured (tests showed 4 additional pathologic fractures) and with the
tumor compression of his spine, we all have hope and faith that he will eventually regain mobility. His body is responding to the chemo, but we will not know its true effectiveness until right before his 4th round of chemo currently scheduled for near the end of May.
How to be brave for Dave?
"Whatever is on your heart, do it."
1. Continue sending your positivity/prayers/blessings - no matter your beliefs, please know Dave is open to receiving your love.
2. If you are able, please donate towards the massive additional financial expense and medical bills Dave and the family are incurring through this season of life. This can be done either through this gofundme site, or through Dave or Jodee's shared leave program
3. You are welcome to email encouraging letters and videos from you (especially if they'll make Dave smile/laugh) to [email redacted].
4. Most importantly, please share this GoFundMe page so we can support Dave as he has always supported so many of us.
Thank you for your prayers, support, and positive energy to Dave.
We will be sending updates on his progress throughout each round of checmo as we all travel this journey with Dave.
Organiser and beneficiary
Joe Honan
Organiser
David Jacobson
Beneficiary
