Help "Jack the Warrior" Battle AML Leukemia

September 2023

We are heartbroken to share the difficult news that 9-year-old Jack Salinetti has relapsed and is battling AML leukemia for a second time. Jack is already back at Boston Children's Hospital and has started treatment. Jack has another tough road ahead, but we know "Jack the Warrior" will kick cancer's butt again!

This time, Jack will need to receive several rounds of intense chemotherapy and then a stem cell transplant, followed by frequent visits to the outpatient clinic and a period of time isolated at home recovering and waiting for his immune system to build back up again. During treatment, Jack's cells are wiped out from the chemotherapy and therefore his immune system is gone. His blood counts will remain low for most of treatment. He will once again be treated inpatient, partially to protect him from getting sick and so that he can receive all of the daily meds and regularly needed transfusions while waiting for his bone marrow to recover, hopefully cancer-free.

So many people are reaching out asking how they can help - thank you! Right now, these are some ways you could help support the family:

Prayers! Jack, Joe, Laura and Emma can use the prayers! It is physically and mentally difficult for Jack to go through treatment again. They pray for a successful treatment, for him to be cured and that the leukemia is gone for good. Pray for the family as they navigate this together once again.

Send the family uplifting messages! They read messages together and share texts that help bring positivity. Please know that they may not get back to you quickly, it is hard to keep up with everything going on, but every single message is read and greatly appreciated. Messages with a lot of questions can be overwhelming for them. They will try their best to answer questions in the Facebook group and keep everyone updated on Jack’s treatment.

The family created a Facebook group to share updates and messages about Jack's second battle with leukemia. If you want to follow along or have any messages to share with Jack, please join the group.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1277646372928769

Donate through GoFundMe. These several years have brought a lot of unexpected expenses for the family. They are now paying for services to help take care of their home, meal delivery companies, and all of the expenses that come with going back and forth between Niskayuna and Boston multiple times per week. Emma still going to school back in New York, so the family is split up and rotating who is with Jack and Emma every few days. Trying to keep normalcy at home for Emma has always been a big priority for them, but it means a lot more driving and coordinating to make it work for both kids. Thank you to everyone who is helping at home - from food, to rides and hanging with Emma, to house things and errands. We couldn't do it without our friends, family, community and dance family! It is very much appreciated!

If you’d like to send cards or items to Jack, Emma, or the family, please text Laura or Joe, or use the message feature on here to get the best current address for Jack. Jack’s hospital room sometimes changes, so we can send you the latest address. He loves getting cards at the hospital. As far as what Jack and Emma like, Jack likes science crafts or activities he can assemble and put together or build. He also really likes picking out his own toys and crafts from Target and Amazon and gets them shipped right there. He is enjoying using same day delivery from the local Target, so gift cards are always nice for him as his interests, moods, or needs change. Keeping busy while feeling good is hard for a 9 year old staying in a hospital room full time. Emma loves Starbucks, Sephora/Ulta, Target and craft/art projects. Gift cards are also nice for Emma to pick out things on her own, too.

The Salinetti Family is extremely grateful for the enormous army in their corner. Every bit of thoughts, prayers, and support means the world! We will get through this together and are all #SalinettiStrong!

November 2021

If you’ve ever had the opportunity to meet Jack Salinetti, you would immediately recognize his kind eyes, gentle demeanor, curious mind, and unwavering passion for family, friends and sports. Seven-year-old Jack is an athlete at heart—the back yard is bursting with lacrosse balls, baseballs, footballs, and soccer balls. He loves a good challenge and enjoys games, hands-on projects, and STEM activities. He even built his sister, Emma, a large wooden dollhouse as a surprise last year. He loves the Red Sox and Patriots, his favorite subject is math, and he enjoys chasing his dog Nala in the yard and riding bikes around the neighborhood. Jack is generous, joyful, and kind— and he never misses a beat.

So that’s why Laura and Joe started to worry when he easily grew tired at practices and games and had a hard time catching his breath while running. Early on, they sought tests to rule out strep, covid, allergies, and asthma—and were baffled when all the tests came back negative. Then, when Jack—the boy with a sweet tooth—could not even finish trick-or-treating on Halloween, they knew something serious was wrong. They called the doctor the next morning and asked for blood work wondering if he was anemic and the doctor also added additional blood tests. That night, they received the most unexpected news imaginable: Jack had Leukemia. He packed a bag, hugged Nala, and headed to the hospital, where he has been since that night. Later that week, it was confirmed that Jack had acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and on Nov. 6th, he began chemotherapy.

Jack is expected to spend the next 4-6 months as an inpatient at the hospital while he receives treatment from his expert team of specialists. He will be transferred to a different out of state hospital at some point in the future for a bone marrow transplant. In NYS, hospitals are only allowing visitors 18+ and with his counts so low, he is spending a lot of quality time with mom and dad and seeing Emma, family, and friends on Facetime. He may be able to come home for a few days between rounds of chemotherapy, but it’s likely that he will be celebrating Thanksgiving, his 8th birthday, and Christmas in his hospital room.

Please consider supporting Jack. All donations will go directly to the family to cover co-pays, travel costs, therapies, and any related expenses. The Salinetti Family is grateful for their tremendous support network of family, friends, and colleagues. Jack is very lucky to have support from his classmates, lacrosse team, baseball team, soccer team, and friends and family near and far. He is especially touched by the support from all his fellow Niskayuna Silver Warriors. Little did we know just how fitting this name would be. Jack is a Warrior, and we all need you to join his team. He needs as much support from the sidelines as possible.

Jack’s future is bright. He has goals to score, balls to hit, friends to make, books to read, and beaches to explore. Let him know that you have his back.