Jade can't wait to do backflips again

“Thank you to those who helped me, because some people don’t do that type of thing, and it’s nice to help others.” All-Star Jade

Jade can’t wait to do back flips again.

The nine-year-old loves to dance. In fact, she’s been dancing since she was four. But the activity that brings her so much joy had to be put on hold following her diagnosis of Ewing Sarcoma, a rare, aggressive bone cancer that was found in one of her ribs.

“I love to compete and the joy of wondering if I am going to win,” Jade said. “It is so much fun, and I love being on the stage. I was disappointed to miss out on all the fun things we do while I was in treatment, and I am most looking forward to doing back flips again.”

Jade’s cancer journey took a toll on their family.

All in all, she has endured 14 rounds of chemotherapy and 31 radiation treatments in a hospital in Utah, which is seven hours from her home in Nevada. The distance meant that she and her mom, Crystal, spent about three months away from her dad and brother.

Her family was in a new city, having just moved across the country from North Carolina for her dad, Joseph’s, job. Crystal, a teacher, also changed jobs. Not long after they moved, they received Jade’s diagnosis.

The warning signs started one weekend when Jade won third place in a dance competition. She was tired, and her appetite wasn’t the same. Her doctor gave her an inhaler and a steroid. Then one day at dance, she wasn’t able to do a basic back bend. Crystal said she noticed her daughter looked completely gray.

After multiple hospital visits spanning over 24 hours, Crystal and Jade found themselves on a Lifeflight to Utah.

“Neither of us had slept, and she kept reaching for me to hold her,” Crystal said. “I kept saying ‘Mama’s right here’ and let the nurses take over because I needed to emotionally process this myself. I rubbed her head and then leaned back in my seat and cried the whole flight. When we landed, it was freezing; we were tired and confused, and Jade was still in her dance clothing. She did not even have any shoes.”

Jade’s tumor filled the left side of her chest, pushing her heart and trachea to the right side of her body. That meant she couldn’t be sedated, so Jade remained awake as doctors inserted a long needle to remove fluid from her abdomen and for when they biopsied her left breast. 

She stopped talking for a few days because of the trauma. When she did speak, she asked for her dad.

Unfortunately, he was hours away and, like many families facing childhood cancer, bills still had to be paid - so Jade’s dad needed to work and care for Jade’s brother.

Some payments were able to be delayed, which allowed them to focus on Jade’s mounting prescription costs, food for the family, and gas to get Jade to and from her appointments. They had fallen behind on car payments and had to make payment arrangements with utility companies. They felt like they were “robbing Peter to pay Paul.” It was stressful.

Crystal said when they travel to Utah, they have to worry about a hotel room and gas to get to and from the hospital. Then there’s making sure she has groceries to feed Jade.

That’s where Pinky Swear Foundation came in.

The family received assistance through Pinky Swear’s Orange Envelope program, which provides a $200 gift card and letters of encouragement. Crystal said that it helped cover costs on trips to Utah and back, making a big difference for them.

“I did not worry about gas or if she wanted a drink and a bag of chips at a gas station. So that simple relief was truly a blessing because it takes away one tiny little piece of stress,” Crystal said.

Crystal mentioned how lonely it is having a child with cancer. Cards and financial support took away some of that pain.

“It has changed our perspective on the amount we want to help others,” she said. “We have seen the kindness, and how something simple can go so far. A lot of us families would fall apart without the help.”

The bills don’t end when cancer treatment ends, and Jade will have to continue to make trips to Utah for follow-up care. The bills will continue to pile up.

For now, Jade has her eyes set on dancing again. She also likes musical theater, especially the show Wicked. She also likes drawing, building Legos, and playing with baby dolls. When she grows up, she wants to be a pediatric oncologist to help other sick children feel better.