In early September, Christopher Jackson (JC) and his wife Simone received some of the worst news a family could get. I had just arrived to Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington and entered JC's hospital room just as one of the doctors from his neurosurgery team was giving him the diagnosis of grade 4 glioblastoma and a prognosis of 6 - 12 months. I had run into Simone and JC's daughter Kaycie in the lobby on the way up. As I entered the room, I could tell that life as they knew it was over. JC was trying to be brave, saying he was going to be one of the few that would beat it. Simone was crumbling under the weight of the news. After a few minutes of holding each other and crying, the reality of their circumstances started to hit them. What I witnessed next was what broke me. Just moments after being told that JC could have as little as 6 months to live, he and Simone were agreeing that they would have to sell their house...they couldn't even take a beat to focus on how he would approach his treatment before the walls of their finances started closing in. The thought of JC and Simone losing their home base and of their kids not having their rooms to come home to as their family goes through this health crisis was just too much. I knew they needed help, and I decided to organize this GoFundMe.

Timeline

On September 3rd, Christopher (known as JC to his friends) went to a neurology appointment at 2:00 P.M. at Caton Hill Medical Center for ongoing vertigo and headaches. His neurologist ordered a CT scan of the brain for September 5th.

On September 5th, JC had his CT scan at Caton Hill Medical Center at 1:00 P.M. A few minutes later, a radiologist came out to the waiting room to inform him of a large mass on his right frontal lobe. He was told to call his family and was rushed to the ER at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington by ambulance.

On September 7th, JC had a 5-hour emergency surgery to remove as much of his tangerine-sized brain tumor as they safely could.

On September 9th, JC was diagnosed with grade 4 astrocytoma (glioblastoma). This is the most malignant, aggressive, and fast growing type of brain cancer. He was told he could expect to live 6-12 months.

On September 11th, his wife Simone brought JC home to heal from his brain surgery and to prepare himself for the fight of his life.

On September 29th, JC began a 6-week regimen of targeted radiation and chemotherapy. He spends three hours a day being transported back and forth to VHC in Arlington for 15 minutes of treatment.

On October 4th, 27 days after his brain surgery, JC is up and about and feeling stronger daily. He is fighting to hold onto his strength and vitality for as long as possible. Currently, JC is taking walks around the neighborhood, doing some light yard work, cooking for the family as well as a special diet for himself, and enjoying quality time with his family.

The rest of the story

As if receiving a diagnosis of highly malignant, fast growing brain cancer weren’t bad enough, JC was laid off by Amazon Web Services in June 2024. As his search for a new IT position dragged on, JC’s migraines, fatigue, and forgetfulness became more severe. Eventually, it became clear that JC would not be able to work. The family has struggled to make ends meet on Simone’s library media assistant income and their savings. With two kids in college and another one graduating from high school in June and a growing stack of medical bills, JC and Simone are getting buried in debt.

What will the money from this GoFundMe be used for?

1) To pay off a portion of their mortgage so the Jackson family

can stay in their house

Without significant financial assistance, Simone and JC will have no option but to sell their house—uprooting the family at a time they need the comfort and normalcy of their home most. Just imagine being in the midst of your 6-week course of chemotherapy and radiation and not having your home to return to each day or having to uproot your high school senior in the middle of their senior year. Think about trying to get a house ready to sell and moving when you know the extra stress and physical assertion is likely to cut your life even shorter.

Staying in their house will enable JC to be as comfortable as possible in his own house while in treatment, Kaycie to continue to live at home while attending NOVA and doing Air Force ROTC, Cody to finish his senior year without having to be moved, Brianna to have a place to work remotely from while she’s at home to help care for her dad, and Simone to continue to be able to walk across the road to her job at Coles Elementary for as long as possible before having to take her unpaid 6-week FMLA.

2) To help pay for uncovered medical and medical-related

expenses

Brain cancer patients have the highest out-of-pocket costs, and glioblastoma is one of the most treatment-resistant cancers. JC’s prognosis is grim. Treating his cancer with targeted radiation and chemotherapy won’t cure him. To have a fighting chance at extending his life, he will need to participate in one or more clinical trials. Uncovered costs associated with clinical trials should not prevent him from participating. Imagine having a chance to extend your life or improve the quality of your last months of life with a treatment and not being able to because you can’t afford it.

Travel, lodging, and meals when traveling back and forth from treatment are additional expenses that need to be covered.

If Simone ends up losing her job because of an extended absence to care for JC, they will lose insurance for the family and have to pay for COBRA health insurance coverage (estimated $2,116/month) or purchase a health insurance plan from the Affordable Care marketplace.

3) To enable JC to cross some items off his bucket list with

Simone and the kids

One of JC's big dreams is to take the family on a trip to Vietnam (Simone is part Vietnamese). Simone and JC need to have the means to create as many special memories together as possible as he fights to defeat the odds. If JC feels well enough, they should have the ability to go away for a weekend without worrying about money and have at least one last big Christmas together.

What is the specific dollar amount we are aiming for?

We are asking for $100,000.

What makes me think this goal is attainable?

Miracles can and do happen when compassionate people join together to help someone who needs it. Maybe you've watched someone you love battle cancer, or maybe you have fought it yourself. JC needs an army of support NOW, and you can be part of that army.

I'm asking prayer warriors to pray daily for miraculous healing of JC, for his body to tolerate treatment, for wisdom for his doctors, and for hearts to be moved to give. A hundred million pennies is still a million dollars, and every cent matters.

Who started this GoFundMe?

My name is Tracy Sorfi, and my family and the Jackson family have been close friends since our daughter Olivia and their son Skyler started dating in high school. I am a Manassas native and 32-year high school English teacher with an assignment for you: imagine if JC were your father, husband, brother, or friend and you were in the same situation as he is right now and DONATE today–no matter how small an amount. Also, if you can, PLEASE share this fundraiser across all your social media platforms to all of your networks. Every share, post, retweet, email, and prayer matters.

Some may see our $100,000 goal as outrageous; I don’t. I have experienced people’s outrageous generosity and their “wreckless” love in my own life. I believe that people genuinely WANT to help out when someone is facing a hard battle in life, and I believe that it’s okay to ask for help.

JC is a disabled Marine; he doesn’t back down from a fight. Please help him as he faces the biggest fight of his life.

With sincere gratitude,

Tracy

A note from the sponsor: I am committed to 100% transparency. GoFundMe takes 2.9% + a $.30 flat fee from each donation to cover payment processing and safe delivery of funds. For a $100 donation in the U.S., Simone and JC will receive $96.80. When a person donates to JC’s GoFundMe campaign, the platform will ask if a person wants to add a tip to cover this fee. Please do not feel compelled to leave a tip. Remember that any donation, no matter how big or small, is making a difference.