We sat down with Jack, a five-time cancer fighter who is now using his experience to lead a Pinky Swear Pack on his college campus.
Can you describe your cancer journey?
I was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia at the age of 8. In the past 12 years I have faced five relapses; developed a secondary cancer, had two bone marrow transplants, and three CAR-T infusions, a type of cancer immunotherapy that uses a patient’s T cells to fight cancer. At the age of 14, I had a hip replacement. I have not completed a school year since the third grade. Most recently, in December 2023, I received a CAR-T infusion at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. My mom and I spent the holidays there. Since then, there have been a few ups and downs but right now I have no evidence of residual disease. I follow up with them every 3 months for 2 years; and after that every 6 months.
How did that feel?
There is no one answer, it can be isolating, missing out on things everyone else is doing. It has occupied over half my life; it has made me who I am and is an important piece of my life. In conversations I never want to be the one to bring it up though; I don’t have issues talking about it but it’s hard to burden someone else.
How did your diagnosis affect your family financially?
My parents protected me from the financial impact, but over time I became aware that my treatment was costly. My dad was between jobs when I relapsed, and he carries our insurance, so my mom became my primary care giver. She has a small business making crafts, but that had to take a back seat. I have gained interesting insight into the goodness of other people and organizations like Pinky Swear Foundation that are doing great work to support you. We received so much support from the community in general that now I want to pay it forward and help others.
Pinky Swear helped my family on multiple occasions with an Orange Envelope, gas and grocery gift cards, and mortgage payments. They were the first organization to help us after my diagnosis.
What are you up to now?
I am a Junior at the University of St. Thomas majoring in mechanical engineering with double minors in biomedical engineering and materials science. My first career choice is in 3D printing for medical applications. When I had my hip replacement, my treatment had caused necrosis (tissues dying) in my left hip tissue, and I have since learned about how facilities are using 3D models built from medical imaging for MRI scans to create patient-specific models. I got to tour the facility at Mayo Clinic and learned how 3D printing will have a massive impact on the patient’s experience. My situation has had a major impact on why I decided to go in this direction.
What inspired you to become a leader for Pinky Swear from a young age?
I became a leader for the Pinky Swear Pack because the mission hits home for me. The story is very moving and Pinky Swear Foundation has helped my family multiple times. They were the first organization to offer help after my diagnosis, so Pinky Swear has been part of my journey for as long as I can remember. I received so much support that I want to pay it forward, I know how much it means to families.
What has been the most rewarding part of your experience?
This year getting involved with the Pack here at St. Thomas. I have recruited 40 people including a couple of friends who really care about the mission. I want to grow the club; I am excited to introduce Pinky Swear to the group and start creating our community. Awareness and visibility are important to start with, with that in mind we are doing an ice cream social for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
We want to host a fundraiser for #CancerIsMessy and have other fundraising ideas including a “Chuck-a-Puck” and restaurant donation nights, but I want to hear ideas from the group so that everyone has a voice. For #CancerIsMessy my goal is to raise $1,000 which is only $20 per member. I want to start small and not overwhelm people, doing a couple of successful fundraisers before going big.
I have a busy semester, but it is not a burden; because of how much I care, it feels like fun. My objectives are to hold a few successful events that meet everyone’s goals, to create a passionate community, and to leave a lasting legacy after I graduate in 2026.
After this interview, we got an update from Jack about the St. Thomas Pack's fundraising efforts. So far, they have exceeded their goal of raising $1,000 to help kids with cancer and their families.
You can learn more about Pinky Swear Packs who are making an impact in the pediatric cancer community on our website. There, you can learn about how you can get involved in a current Pack or start one at your school.