Team Up for Team Jacob
Donation protected
For those of you who have followed Jacob's story for the past eight years, you know he has had to fight for his life not once, but twice.
In November 2010, he was diagnosed with metastatic Ewing's Sarcoma at the age of 5. He received chemotherapy for nine months, followed by radiation to his pelvis. Upon completing the initial therapy, he was placed on relapse chemo for another six months. This was followed by radiation to his lungs.
He remained in remission for 4.5 years, before relapsing to his lungs, in November 2016. He received chemotherapy for relapse for just over a year. During this time, Jacob had two lung wedge resections. We were hopeful he had beaten the odds again, as his scans remained stable for nine months.
Unfortunately, Jacob will be fighting for his life for the third time.
Prior to scans early September 2018, Jacob's skin color was off, and his energy levels were declining. He went to Cleveland Clinic a week prior to scans and received labs. This showed that his hemoglobin had dropped to a critical level of 4 (normal range for boys is around 13). His white blood counts and platelets were also dropping. A bone marrow aspiration and biopsy was performed, which revealed secondary Myelodysplastic Syndrome as a result of chemotherapy received for Ewing's.
The plan for Jacob is to "condition" his body with high-dose chemotherapy to kill off any diseased marrow he may have and prepare him for stem cell transplant. Stem cell transplant will require weeks to months of reverse isolation until his counts recover. He will then have to live at the Ronald McDonald House in Chicago until his team of doctors deems it safe to go home.
Due to the grim statistics shared by doctors, family would like to be by Jacob's side as much as possible through treatment and recovery, which will be a financial hardship.
If you are able to donate, any amount, it would be greatly appreciated by our family. Thank you to everyone who continues to follow Jacob's story, and for the continuous prayers; it means more to my family than you know.
In November 2010, he was diagnosed with metastatic Ewing's Sarcoma at the age of 5. He received chemotherapy for nine months, followed by radiation to his pelvis. Upon completing the initial therapy, he was placed on relapse chemo for another six months. This was followed by radiation to his lungs.
He remained in remission for 4.5 years, before relapsing to his lungs, in November 2016. He received chemotherapy for relapse for just over a year. During this time, Jacob had two lung wedge resections. We were hopeful he had beaten the odds again, as his scans remained stable for nine months.
Unfortunately, Jacob will be fighting for his life for the third time.
Prior to scans early September 2018, Jacob's skin color was off, and his energy levels were declining. He went to Cleveland Clinic a week prior to scans and received labs. This showed that his hemoglobin had dropped to a critical level of 4 (normal range for boys is around 13). His white blood counts and platelets were also dropping. A bone marrow aspiration and biopsy was performed, which revealed secondary Myelodysplastic Syndrome as a result of chemotherapy received for Ewing's.
The plan for Jacob is to "condition" his body with high-dose chemotherapy to kill off any diseased marrow he may have and prepare him for stem cell transplant. Stem cell transplant will require weeks to months of reverse isolation until his counts recover. He will then have to live at the Ronald McDonald House in Chicago until his team of doctors deems it safe to go home.
Due to the grim statistics shared by doctors, family would like to be by Jacob's side as much as possible through treatment and recovery, which will be a financial hardship.
If you are able to donate, any amount, it would be greatly appreciated by our family. Thank you to everyone who continues to follow Jacob's story, and for the continuous prayers; it means more to my family than you know.
Organizer
Ashlynn Zickefoose
Organizer
Coal City, IL
