Jakey's Army

On October 10th Jakey’s mom, Karen, received a call from his teacher that led her to believe her healthy, 4 year old boy was coming down with a common cold or virus. What Karen and her husband, Orlando, didn’t know was that there were other plans in the works, DIPG (Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma). DIPG is an aggressive pediatric brain tumor which starts in the brain stem. The brain stem controls heart rate, breathing and the nerves and muscles needed to walk, talk, see, hear and eat. To date, there is no known cure. Believing in the power of God’s miracles and walking blindly with nothing but the faith in their hearts, the Duque family embarked on this journey to save Jakey. Through God’s gracious hands, Jakey was immediately accepted for a clinical trial at St. Jude in Memphis, TN, where he has begun his treatment.

Karen has had to put her career on hold in order to be with her son as he fights this battle. Orlando has also had to put his work on hold as he continues to remain by Jakey’s side, while making visits to and from home to be present for big sister Lyla. Travel expenses, general household needs and utilities have led them toward financial burdens that they otherwise wouldn’t have been faced with had it not been for this most unexpected and unwanted health crisis their baby boy is facing. Through this GoFundMe account, your generous donations can provide the Duque family with the financial support they need during this difficult time.

We are humbled by the amount of support we have received thus far and we continue to hold each and every one of you close to our hearts as you journey with us.