- A
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"Meet Jack. A gentle, loving, kind soul (and dinosaur expert) with a streak of comedic flair sure to make everyone around him is always smiling.
I knew the moment he was born, that our lives would never be the same. For the first time, I felt vulnerable and raw and terrified, knowing that there was now something in my life that had the ability to break me, should anything happen to my baby. Nearly 4 years later, on October 29, 2018, we received the diagnosis that did just this — wrecked our family to our absolute cores. Jack has brain cancer; Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a highly aggressive and difficult to treat brain tumor found at the base of the brain.
But throughout this process, we are in awe at the strength, resilience and bravery this little boy has demonstrated since his diagnosis. He has faithfully participated in treatments, never questioning our direction for him. He has quickly adapted to the “medical scene”; the “white coats” do not scare him. In fact, he completely trusts doctors, and will often walk up and hug them (even ones he has never met before) without warning. His bravery makes our hearts proud, and we have a lot to learn from his unwavering faith and trust.
Jack is 5 years old and should have a long and prosperous life ahead of him. Instead, we are currently facing a devastating prognosis."
-- written by Melissa Overton, Jack's Mom.
Hi friends and family,
We are Ryan and Nick Mercer - Jack's Uncles (Melissa is our sister). We are devastated to write that Jack's symptoms are worsening and we are beginning to plan for the end.
In the past week or so, he can no longer drink through a straw, his left eye is bulging and dancing all over the place, he can not walk on his own at all now, his speech slurs (especially when he's tired), and he has to wear a pull-up at all times now for incontinence.
Scot and Melissa are determined to make the most and to be as present as possible for whatever time they have left. Scot has decided to take a leave from work; Melissa (who is currently working from home) will be close behind him.
Though 'vacation pay' has been earned, it will not come close to covering the time they need. We are starting this GoFundMe to provide the Overtons with one less thing to worry about... We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your assistance during this extremely difficult time.
We are carefully documenting Captain Jack's Journey on Facebook; please follow us there for updates.
-- Ryan and Nick Mercer
I knew the moment he was born, that our lives would never be the same. For the first time, I felt vulnerable and raw and terrified, knowing that there was now something in my life that had the ability to break me, should anything happen to my baby. Nearly 4 years later, on October 29, 2018, we received the diagnosis that did just this — wrecked our family to our absolute cores. Jack has brain cancer; Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a highly aggressive and difficult to treat brain tumor found at the base of the brain.
But throughout this process, we are in awe at the strength, resilience and bravery this little boy has demonstrated since his diagnosis. He has faithfully participated in treatments, never questioning our direction for him. He has quickly adapted to the “medical scene”; the “white coats” do not scare him. In fact, he completely trusts doctors, and will often walk up and hug them (even ones he has never met before) without warning. His bravery makes our hearts proud, and we have a lot to learn from his unwavering faith and trust.
Jack is 5 years old and should have a long and prosperous life ahead of him. Instead, we are currently facing a devastating prognosis."
-- written by Melissa Overton, Jack's Mom.
Hi friends and family,
We are Ryan and Nick Mercer - Jack's Uncles (Melissa is our sister). We are devastated to write that Jack's symptoms are worsening and we are beginning to plan for the end.
In the past week or so, he can no longer drink through a straw, his left eye is bulging and dancing all over the place, he can not walk on his own at all now, his speech slurs (especially when he's tired), and he has to wear a pull-up at all times now for incontinence.
Scot and Melissa are determined to make the most and to be as present as possible for whatever time they have left. Scot has decided to take a leave from work; Melissa (who is currently working from home) will be close behind him.
Though 'vacation pay' has been earned, it will not come close to covering the time they need. We are starting this GoFundMe to provide the Overtons with one less thing to worry about... We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your assistance during this extremely difficult time.
We are carefully documenting Captain Jack's Journey on Facebook; please follow us there for updates.
-- Ryan and Nick Mercer