marisel jarrin

September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. ️ Every September, I talk a little louder about childhood cancer. I share the statistics. I tell our story. I ask people to wear gold, spread awareness, and remember the children still fighting and the ones who should still be here. But this September, I also want to share something that is harder for me to say. Cancer doesn’t end when treatment ends. Our family is incredibly grateful to be on the other side of Jake’s transplant and watching him slowly return to being a teenager again. After everything he has endured, that is a gift I will never take for granted. But while life starts moving forward again, the financial aftermath doesn’t magically disappear. More than a year of putting everything else aside to keep Jake safe, countless appointments, hospital stays, missed work, medical expenses, and simply trying to keep a family going through the unimaginable has left us still trying to find our footing. I don’t share that easily. In fact, this is probably one of the hardest parts for me to talk about. I would much rather spend September advocating for other children and families than talking about our own needs. But I also know that so many of you have asked how we are doing and how you can continue to support us. So I’m sharing our GoFundMe again this Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. There is absolutely no expectation. A donation, a share, a prayer, wearing gold, telling someone Jake’s story, or simply helping us raise awareness all mean more than you know. We have made it through things I once thought would break us. We are still standing. We are still rebuilding. And we are still so incredibly grateful for every person who has stood beside our family. For Jake. For every child still fighting. For every family learning that the effects of childhood cancer last long after the hospital doors close. Go Gold. ️

Jake’s story was featured in People magazine. https://people.com/teen-diagnosed-leukemia-5-years-after-ewing-sarcoma-exclusive-12036484 Thank you all for your endless love and support. You are our village!