Help Jonny Beat Cancer (Borough of Beards 2023)
On August 19, 2023, 4 year old Jonathan was taken to the ER for what his parents thought was a urinary infection. Over the next few hours they learned that their son Jonathan actually had a 10.2 cm mass on his right kidney. He was transferred to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to plan surgery and develop a plan with their oncologists.
On August 24, Jonathan had surgery to remove the tumor. His right kidney had to be removed as well due to the size of the tumor and how it was attached to the kidney. The biopsy results of the mass and kidney showed that he has Stage 2 Diffuse Anaplastic Wilms Tumor. Although Wilms tumor itself has a high cure rate, the type of Wilms tumor Jonathan has is considered much more aggressive and difficult to treat. At this point, he has already received four rounds of chemotherapy and completed 6 rounds of radiation, in addition to receiving two blood transfusions. He will continue chemotherapy for at least the next 30 weeks.
The family currently travels back and forth weekly from Northern NJ to Philadelphia for Jonathan’s treatments, with intermittent stays at the hospital for treatment in between.
Jonathan’s mother Melissa, who is also fighting her own battle with Multiple Sclerosis since 2010, is now unable to work due to the intense treatment schedule and to care for him and his 7 year old brother Joseph, which has created a financial burden on the family. His father Joe is a Correctional Police Officer with the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department for the past 17 years and a member of PBA Local 134.
Borough of Beards includes 18 municipalities, each led by their local PBA, with the goal of growing support, for a common cause, from their local and surrounding communities.
Participating Municipalities:
Ho-Ho-Kus, Upper Saddle River, Saddle River, Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes, Woodcliff Lake, Waldwick, Allendale, Ridgewood, Oakland, Midland Park, Montvale, Ramsey, Mahwah, Elmwood Park, Garfield, Wanaque, River Edge, New Milford.
On August 24, Jonathan had surgery to remove the tumor. His right kidney had to be removed as well due to the size of the tumor and how it was attached to the kidney. The biopsy results of the mass and kidney showed that he has Stage 2 Diffuse Anaplastic Wilms Tumor. Although Wilms tumor itself has a high cure rate, the type of Wilms tumor Jonathan has is considered much more aggressive and difficult to treat. At this point, he has already received four rounds of chemotherapy and completed 6 rounds of radiation, in addition to receiving two blood transfusions. He will continue chemotherapy for at least the next 30 weeks.
The family currently travels back and forth weekly from Northern NJ to Philadelphia for Jonathan’s treatments, with intermittent stays at the hospital for treatment in between.
Jonathan’s mother Melissa, who is also fighting her own battle with Multiple Sclerosis since 2010, is now unable to work due to the intense treatment schedule and to care for him and his 7 year old brother Joseph, which has created a financial burden on the family. His father Joe is a Correctional Police Officer with the Bergen County Sheriff’s Department for the past 17 years and a member of PBA Local 134.
Borough of Beards includes 18 municipalities, each led by their local PBA, with the goal of growing support, for a common cause, from their local and surrounding communities.
Participating Municipalities:
Ho-Ho-Kus, Upper Saddle River, Saddle River, Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes, Woodcliff Lake, Waldwick, Allendale, Ridgewood, Oakland, Midland Park, Montvale, Ramsey, Mahwah, Elmwood Park, Garfield, Wanaque, River Edge, New Milford.
