Just before Christmas, our son Jordan was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s T-Cell Lymphoblastic Lymphoma (T-LBL). He has been experiencing extreme chest pain caused by a cancerous lymphoma mass pressing on his heart discovered after days of blood tests, x rays, cat scans, and visits to the hospital. We are still learning about the disease and monitoring the cancer and its presence anywhere else in his body. There are no words that fully capture what this moment feels like for our family. We are angry, heartbroken, terrified of the unknown depths of cancer and treatment. At the same time we are doing everything we can to stay hopeful and positive for him during this life altering event.

Jordan is young, strong, and otherwise healthy. His medical team has used words like treatable and curable, which gives us hope. Still, watching your child face cancer is something no parent is ever prepared for and causes inexplicable pain.

Jordan officially begins chemotherapy on January 2nd. He has already been admitted to the hospital for his first induction phase and will remain there for approximately 30 days. After that, he will be able to return home and continue treatment as an outpatient, staying home and prioritizing rest and his mental and physical health. His chemotherapy will be intense for about six-eight months, followed by approximately two years of maintenance therapy.

Jordan is 20 years old and has his entire life ahead of him. He encapsulates so many admirable qualities, specifically his hardworking spirit, proactive strive for excellence in all of his responsibilities and hobbies, altruism, and profound independence and talent with guitar. He has trained and worked professionally with cars for roughly 3 years while also devoting his time, money, and energy into his passion for music, specifically electric guitar. In the past two years His band, Airport Park, has flourished within the Burlington Hardcore music scene with support from the community. They have worked tirelessly at completing an EP and releasing multiple singles that expressed the unique sound of the band, which Jordan holds close to his heart. This year they played their first show in NY and had gigs booked over the next few months. Unfortunately, Jordan’s cancer treatment means he will have to step away from performing for now. But this is not the end of his story as his love of writing and playing music gives him strength now more than ever. He will play again.

Jordan is not facing this journey alone. His girlfriend, Roma, has been by his side every step of the way. She is an essential part of his support team, showing up daily with strength, love, and unwavering care. From hospital days to the moments in between, Roma has been a constant source of comfort and encouragement for Jordan, and we are deeply grateful for the role she plays in helping him navigate this fight.

As his parents, we are holding onto anything that brings us strength. We ask anyone who comes across this to keep Jordan in their thoughts, whether that’s through prayer, positive energy, or simply sending good vibes his way. We truly believe in the power of community, and hearing survivor stories or words of encouragement means more than we can say. In times of hardship personal and communal resilience is needed and we thank all of those who are offering support during this painful journey.

As word has spread, many people have reached out asking how they can help Jordan. There are a few ways, for those who wish to support him and any/all efforts make a difference in this fight.

We have created an Amazon wish list with items that will help care for Jordan at home and bring him some comfort during treatment. As we learn more about the effects of chemotherapy, items may be added.

https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/2POCRILEM32MK?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_ggr-subnav-share_MS29KA88ZGEPACCW3Y7C&language=en-US

In addition, donations can be made via Venmo or GoFundMe. Jordan will be unable to work during cancer treatment and still has financial obligations to meet as a budding young adult. Cancer treatment is incredibly costly due to the side effects of chemotherapy on his immune system and physical as being an obstacle for the prior financial responsibilities like car insurance. He also has existing medical debt from earlier this year, and while he now has health insurance, he faces a very high deductible before coverage begins.

Our goal is simple: we want Jordan to focus fully on healing without the added weight of financial stress. We are working hard to remain strong and positive throughout this heartbreaking experience and utilize our supports and resources to minimize the added stress of medical expenses and costs being placed on Jordan. He is so young, with so much life ahead of him, and we hope to help him move forward into that future with as few burdens as possible with support from the community.

Thank you for reading, sharing, supporting, and standing with our family during this fight. Every contribution made to support Jordan during his cancer treatment makes a difference for him and us both mentally, financially, and physically. We appreciate all of you.