Jason's Memorial Celebration & Final Expenses

The morning of Monday, August 19th, Jason took his last breath on Earth and stepped into the arms of his angels. He was surrounded by love and family that honored the wonderful man he was as he made this final journey.

Above all, Jason loved “Love”.

Whether you needed a giant bear hug or a brilliant prank played on you to brighten your day, he was there with a smile, a whoopie cushion, or simply a hand to hold. Family, friends, and community were central to Jason’s life—his community and friends became his family, as there was no way to meet him without being changed in some way.

Jason walked this Earth for 36 years with a grace and understanding of unconditional love that few ever achieve, and honoring his memory is where our mission now lies.

There was nothing that Jay liked more than a good ol’ fashioned “hoot-nanny”, where everyone would dance, eat snacks (especially cookies), and celebrate in joy. That’s what we would like to create in his honor, so his friends, family, and community can come together to celebrate the love we all have for Jason and the love he gave so selflessly every day of his life.

The last several months have been incredibly trying on our family, especially our mother who was by his side every step of the way as he battled through cancer treatments, long hospital stays, medical complications, and his journey through hospice.

For those who feel guided to contribute and support our family during this time, we are asking for donations in lieu of flowers—all of which will go towards his final expenses and memorial celebration.  

If you are reading this, Jason touched your heart in some way. Thank you all for being a part of the beautiful tapestry that was his incredible life.

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In January, Jason—or Mr. JBT as he would say—was diagnosed with metastatic adenocarcinoma and testicular cancer. The tumors from the cancer severely compromised his kidneys, causing acute renal failure, SIRS, and chronic anemia.

This year, Jay has gone through four traumatic rounds of aggressive chemotherapy treatment. These medications have caused several complications, and he has been hospitalized seven times since February—while also undergoing numerous surgeries to try to restore kidney function.

As a 35 year old man with Down Syndrome, the toll this has taken on Jay—physically and mentally—is impossible to describe.

He requires full-time, 24/7 care and is struggling both with immense pain and the emotional stress of going through treatments, hospital stays, and surgeries that he just cannot fully understand.

While Jason lives with our father in Minnesota, our mother lives in Chicago, and as his only sibling, I live 900 miles away and am unable to be there to provide in-person support. Our mother has commuted back and forth from Chicago to the Twin Cities several times this year and has now taken a leave of absence from her job as an RN at a convent to help in Jason’s full-time care.

While being by Jason’s side is exactly where she needs and wants to be right now, she has had to deplete her savings to pay for the mounting costs of missed work, staying with Jay in the hospital in Minnesota, continuing to pay for her apartment in Chicago, and dealing with the medical costs and expenses associated with his care.

Jay still has a long road ahead of him, and he is currently in the hospital again with complications.

Anyone that knows Jason has felt the unconditional love that he offers to everyone that crosses his path—please consider contributing to his care or sharing this with others!

He’s fighting with everything he has to “kick cancer’s butt”, and any little bit offered will go directly to his care and making it a little easier for our mom to be there for him during the scariest time of his life.