My son Jacob is fighting a rare, aggressive cancer that started with a trip to the walk-in clinic on 11/18/25. He had developed a cough and was getting short of breath very easily. They did a chest X-ray and sent him immediately to the ER, as the X-ray showed a large amount of fluid in his lung.

At the ER, they did a CT scan, which showed a large 12-cm mass in his right lung, along with a significant amount of fluid. Throughout these last few weeks, Jacob has had many appointments and every test possible. He was scheduled right away with a pulmonologist to drain the fluid from his lungs. They removed 1.8 liters of fluid.

Along with the mass, the PET scan showed that the mass is up against his heart, and he has several nodules in both lungs. He had an EKG, and his heart is good. Next, a brain MRI showed that he has several lesions in his brain.

This week, on Tuesday, he had a scope biopsy surgery to get a tissue sample of the mass. We had an appointment yesterday with his oncologist, hoping for a diagnosis. We have seen two oncologists, a pulmonary surgeon, a heart/thoracic surgeon, and his primary physician. They all felt it was either stage 4 lung cancer or lymphoma. We were braced for that diagnosis but learned that it is neither; instead, it is a rare, aggressive form of cancer.

The pathology lab here in Spokane can’t identify the cancer cell type and is now sending samples to several major cancer centers in the U.S., which may take a few weeks. Even though we don’t have a complete diagnosis, they are going to start radiation (Gamma Knife) treatment on his brain lesions next week.

Jacob has never smoked and rarely drinks. None of this makes sense.

I am so proud of Jacob—for the family he and Shawna have created with their children, Luke and Gracie, and for everything he has accomplished in life. He has never asked for help. His job has been incredibly supportive, and he is continuing to work from home, though he may need to take family leave as treatments begin.

Over the past year, Luke and Gracie both got their driver’s licenses, and their insurance increased to $900 a month. Luke has Type 1 diabetes, and his insulin and supplies cost $1,000 a month. Again, Jacob has never once asked for financial help, but he has made many sacrifices to take care of his family.

I would love to give Jacob some peace of mind so he can fight this battle with a little less financial stress. I have created a Facebook group called “Support Team for Jacob Rudolph,” where I will share his fight, and where we can all share love and positivity for Jacob and his family.