Team Jake

At the start of June, everything was normal. Jake was working everyday doing a job he loves, hanging out with his friends and family, and was really happy with the way his life was going. On Thursday June 8th, 2018 everything changed. That was the day he suddenly began losing feeling in his legs. As the hours went by, his symptoms continued to worsen.  An MRI was done in the early morning of June 9, where a massive tumor was discovered wrapped around his spinal cord, rib cage, and lung, as well as several lesions in the same area. He was immediately prepped for surgery, as the doctors feared he would be paralyzed for the rest of his life if that tumor stayed in any longer. At 22 years old, a healthy young man began to experience his worst nightmare.


The neuro surgeon was able to remove a 6-inch section of the tumor, relieving the pressure on his spinal cord.  From this point on, he was considered a paraplegic. After spending 6 days in the neuro-ICU, Jake was able to regain some feeling and movement in his legs, which was fantastic news.  However, his fight was just about to begin. The results from the biopsy of the tumor revealed that Jake had diffuse large b-cell lymphoma. Prognosis was guarded due to the size of his tumor, and treatment would begin as soon as possible, as this form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma was very aggressive.  Jake is undergoing a very strong and aggressive type of chemotherapy called R-CHOP. Due to the strength of this treatment, only 6 rounds are able to be given. After this, radiation is likely to be done as well.


Jake will need to recover from his treatments and undergo extensive physical therapy in order to recover the use of his legs to enable him to return to work and carry on with his life.  


Mounting medical bills, and his inability to work, have put an enormous financial strain on him.  


Please join me in supporting my friend during this difficult time.