Granting Thomas Jay's Dream Come True
Donation protected
Hope Rises is on a mission. How can you bring an unforgettable wish to a truly deserving young man?
Thomas Jay, an 18-year-old vivacious boy from Amherst, NY, is battling the toughest fight imaginable - cancer and, as a result, vision loss. As a senior in high school, he remains optimistic and filled with hope, but his spirits are often dampened with the horrific reality of chemotherapy and harsh radiation.
His parents, Amy and Matthew Velez, tell us at Hope Rises:
"In September, I picked up Thomas after school to bring him to his CT scan. He seemed tired that day, but happy to see me. My heart was pounding as we pulled into the parking lot at Windsong Radiology.
They called Thomas back, leaving Joey (my seven year old son) and I in the waiting room. Joey has always been my 'prayer partner,' so I asked him to pray with me. He happily agreed, and we prayed for Thomas’s health. Time ticked by so slowly. It seemed as if he was being scanned forever. I just *knew* something wasn’t right. When they brought me back to see the doctor, I had no doubt that my life was about to change.
Thomas' scans were all up on the five computer screens. My eyes rapidly searched them, and they fell upon a large round item in the middle of the brain scan. My mind seemed to shift into slow-mo...
'Mrs. Velez, Dr Calkins is on the phone. She’d like to speak with you.'
It registered that my pediatrician had already been called.... *deep breath*
'He has a mass. They found a mass in his brain...”
Thomas was then hospitalized as we started looking for answers. Initially, the prognosis was extremely grim. After MRI, X-ray, and extensive lab work, it was decided to perform surgery to biopsy and reduce the pressure being placed on his optic nerves. Every practitioner we saw in the hospital was shocked at how poor his vision had become before we sought treatment. I tried so hard in explaining that Thomas never even mentioned it until it got so poor he couldn’t deny it anymore. They would blink their eyes in complete disbelief, as I tried to share how it’s always been Thomas’s nature to never complain about anything... which had, up until this point, been a positive attribute to his personality.
Thomas is undergoing treatment at Roswell Park in Buffalo, NY. We pray everyday for a brighter tomorrow.
For me, what has been truly remarkable through this season of our lives is Thomas’ spirit. He’s been meeting every step through this journey with kindness and sincere gratitude for every single member of the medical team and staff member caring for him. Every needle stick, every missed blood draw, every appointment, every hair lost, every single moment, he has met it with the words, 'It’s just another step, mama.'"
Since Thomas is 18, and missed the age cut off for wish-granting organizations, we wanted to do something extra special to honor his remarkable attitude toward life and this chapter in his life journey.
So, out of pure curiosity, Hope Rises asked: What would Thomas want if he could ask for anything in the world? And he explained that he’d love to see his *little sister’s face* at Disney World!
Nothing for himself, per se, but his joy would be seeing the ones he loves the most experience joy!
Please help us send Thomas Jay and his sister, plus other siblings and parents to Disney World! Any amount contributed makes a beautiful difference. Let's give him this amazing WISH - something he so deserves in the wake of this extreme rough patch.
Thank you!
~The Hope Rises Team
Thomas Jay, an 18-year-old vivacious boy from Amherst, NY, is battling the toughest fight imaginable - cancer and, as a result, vision loss. As a senior in high school, he remains optimistic and filled with hope, but his spirits are often dampened with the horrific reality of chemotherapy and harsh radiation.
His parents, Amy and Matthew Velez, tell us at Hope Rises:
"In September, I picked up Thomas after school to bring him to his CT scan. He seemed tired that day, but happy to see me. My heart was pounding as we pulled into the parking lot at Windsong Radiology.
They called Thomas back, leaving Joey (my seven year old son) and I in the waiting room. Joey has always been my 'prayer partner,' so I asked him to pray with me. He happily agreed, and we prayed for Thomas’s health. Time ticked by so slowly. It seemed as if he was being scanned forever. I just *knew* something wasn’t right. When they brought me back to see the doctor, I had no doubt that my life was about to change.
Thomas' scans were all up on the five computer screens. My eyes rapidly searched them, and they fell upon a large round item in the middle of the brain scan. My mind seemed to shift into slow-mo...
'Mrs. Velez, Dr Calkins is on the phone. She’d like to speak with you.'
It registered that my pediatrician had already been called.... *deep breath*
'He has a mass. They found a mass in his brain...”
Thomas was then hospitalized as we started looking for answers. Initially, the prognosis was extremely grim. After MRI, X-ray, and extensive lab work, it was decided to perform surgery to biopsy and reduce the pressure being placed on his optic nerves. Every practitioner we saw in the hospital was shocked at how poor his vision had become before we sought treatment. I tried so hard in explaining that Thomas never even mentioned it until it got so poor he couldn’t deny it anymore. They would blink their eyes in complete disbelief, as I tried to share how it’s always been Thomas’s nature to never complain about anything... which had, up until this point, been a positive attribute to his personality.
Thomas is undergoing treatment at Roswell Park in Buffalo, NY. We pray everyday for a brighter tomorrow.
For me, what has been truly remarkable through this season of our lives is Thomas’ spirit. He’s been meeting every step through this journey with kindness and sincere gratitude for every single member of the medical team and staff member caring for him. Every needle stick, every missed blood draw, every appointment, every hair lost, every single moment, he has met it with the words, 'It’s just another step, mama.'"
Since Thomas is 18, and missed the age cut off for wish-granting organizations, we wanted to do something extra special to honor his remarkable attitude toward life and this chapter in his life journey.
So, out of pure curiosity, Hope Rises asked: What would Thomas want if he could ask for anything in the world? And he explained that he’d love to see his *little sister’s face* at Disney World!
Nothing for himself, per se, but his joy would be seeing the ones he loves the most experience joy!
Please help us send Thomas Jay and his sister, plus other siblings and parents to Disney World! Any amount contributed makes a beautiful difference. Let's give him this amazing WISH - something he so deserves in the wake of this extreme rough patch.
Thank you!
~The Hope Rises Team
Organizer and beneficiary
Kate Glaser
Organizer
East Amherst, NY
Matthew Velez
Beneficiary
