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Back Story
Jacob is 24, the son of Debra and Marc Mason, and "lil bro" of Luke. If you know Jacob, you know he’s a natural athlete: he played select basketball and baseball and was the captain of his high school basketball team. He has dreams of being a golf pro. In 2018, mom noticed a mole on the back of his right shoulder since he was often in a sleeveless basketball jersey. The dermatologist thought it was “probably nothing” and only removed it at mom’s insistence. He called the next day shocked and profoundly sorry – at 17, Jacob was the youngest patient he’d ever had with a melanoma. The pathology reports came back with clear margins and a negative sentinel lymph node test and we thought he was in the clear. He has faithfully gone to the dermatologist ever since.
Melanoma Reoccurrence
In March of 2024, Jacob noticed one lump under his right arm. We had it checked by the dermatologist and his original surgeon as well as through a sonogram and all indicated it was "probably a cyst." By May of 2024, he noticed 4 more bumps under the skin. Clearly something was wrong! Jacob had a biopsy on June 4th and the pathology report was positive for melanoma. After MRI's and a PET Scan, we learned the cancer had spread extensively including to his brain. The diagnosis was Stage 4 Metastatic Melanoma.
Treatment Begins
Jacob underwent 10 targeted (stereotactic) radiation treatments on his brain and began IV immunotherapy treatment.
Challenges
In July, he suffered complications and was hospitalized for 6 days. We learned his cancer was very aggressive and the immunotherapy wasn’t working fast enough. He was switched to targeted oral immunotherapy and the results throughout the fall of 2024 were encouraging. In early 2025, the MRI’s showed things mostly stable, but a few areas moving in the wrong direction. In March, Jacob had a grand mal seizure and was in ICU for 3 days. He suffered hairline fractures of 5 vertebra due to the force of the seizure and the fragility of his bones.
Unable to work
He hasn’t been able to return to work since that time. MD Anderson Clinical Trial In April, he underwent 10 rounds of whole brain and spine Proton radiation at the Texas Center for Proton Therapy in Irving, Texas and entered a clinical trial at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas in June. The clinical trial requires Jacob to travel to Houston once a month for an overnight hospitalization where he receives 2 immunotherapy drugs by intrathecal injection directly into his cerebral spinal fluid via a surgically placed Ommaya Reservoir as well as by IV infusion. These are in addition to the 2 targeted immunotherapy drugs he takes orally daily.
How Jacob is Doing
Through it all, Jacob is doing amazingly well, is strong in his faith and has a resilient spirit. He is clear in his thinking, steady on his feet, deeply appreciative of the support of family and presence of friends and focused on his healing.
Our Needs
We are deeply appreciative of your prayers, love and emotional support. One tangible way to support Jacob, since he is unable to work at this time, is through a financial gift. This will help with living expenses as well as uncovered medical expenses and travel for treatments. We have strong faith in God and God's ability to work with and through the medical professionals and treatments, and also in spite of them, in the ways only God understands. We pray for complete healing and God's peace that passes all understanding in the journey. We pray for no enduring side effects from the treatments. We pray for quality and quantity of life for Jacob who has much life yet to live and much more to do in service to our God and in sharing his huge heart and amazing spirit for life with the world.
Jacob is 24, the son of Debra and Marc Mason, and "lil bro" of Luke. If you know Jacob, you know he’s a natural athlete: he played select basketball and baseball and was the captain of his high school basketball team. He has dreams of being a golf pro. In 2018, mom noticed a mole on the back of his right shoulder since he was often in a sleeveless basketball jersey. The dermatologist thought it was “probably nothing” and only removed it at mom’s insistence. He called the next day shocked and profoundly sorry – at 17, Jacob was the youngest patient he’d ever had with a melanoma. The pathology reports came back with clear margins and a negative sentinel lymph node test and we thought he was in the clear. He has faithfully gone to the dermatologist ever since.
Melanoma Reoccurrence
In March of 2024, Jacob noticed one lump under his right arm. We had it checked by the dermatologist and his original surgeon as well as through a sonogram and all indicated it was "probably a cyst." By May of 2024, he noticed 4 more bumps under the skin. Clearly something was wrong! Jacob had a biopsy on June 4th and the pathology report was positive for melanoma. After MRI's and a PET Scan, we learned the cancer had spread extensively including to his brain. The diagnosis was Stage 4 Metastatic Melanoma.
Treatment Begins
Jacob underwent 10 targeted (stereotactic) radiation treatments on his brain and began IV immunotherapy treatment.
Challenges
In July, he suffered complications and was hospitalized for 6 days. We learned his cancer was very aggressive and the immunotherapy wasn’t working fast enough. He was switched to targeted oral immunotherapy and the results throughout the fall of 2024 were encouraging. In early 2025, the MRI’s showed things mostly stable, but a few areas moving in the wrong direction. In March, Jacob had a grand mal seizure and was in ICU for 3 days. He suffered hairline fractures of 5 vertebra due to the force of the seizure and the fragility of his bones.
Unable to work
He hasn’t been able to return to work since that time. MD Anderson Clinical Trial In April, he underwent 10 rounds of whole brain and spine Proton radiation at the Texas Center for Proton Therapy in Irving, Texas and entered a clinical trial at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas in June. The clinical trial requires Jacob to travel to Houston once a month for an overnight hospitalization where he receives 2 immunotherapy drugs by intrathecal injection directly into his cerebral spinal fluid via a surgically placed Ommaya Reservoir as well as by IV infusion. These are in addition to the 2 targeted immunotherapy drugs he takes orally daily.
How Jacob is Doing
Through it all, Jacob is doing amazingly well, is strong in his faith and has a resilient spirit. He is clear in his thinking, steady on his feet, deeply appreciative of the support of family and presence of friends and focused on his healing.
Our Needs
We are deeply appreciative of your prayers, love and emotional support. One tangible way to support Jacob, since he is unable to work at this time, is through a financial gift. This will help with living expenses as well as uncovered medical expenses and travel for treatments. We have strong faith in God and God's ability to work with and through the medical professionals and treatments, and also in spite of them, in the ways only God understands. We pray for complete healing and God's peace that passes all understanding in the journey. We pray for no enduring side effects from the treatments. We pray for quality and quantity of life for Jacob who has much life yet to live and much more to do in service to our God and in sharing his huge heart and amazing spirit for life with the world.
Organizer and beneficiary
Debra Mason
Beneficiary