Jack was a gentle and fun 9-year-old who courageously battled a malignant brain tumor known as medulloblastoma. He genuinely enjoyed life. He liked being silly and telling jokes, and he had no issues laughing at himself. He was fond of crescent moons, and every time he saw one, he would jokingly say, “Hey look, God’s toenail clipping!” He just had a way of making everyone around laugh. He was incredibly empathetic, possessing a deep sense of others' needs and feelings. He loved talking, but he especially loved listening to others, which is one of the numerous reasons he was so well-liked and had many friends.

Jack’s diagnosis was overwhelming and stunned his family. They never expected a brain tumor to be the cause of Jack's dizziness and nausea. Jack was amazingly strong throughout his battle, and he approached every hospital visit as if it were another adventure. He never complained. He bonded well with his caregivers and built personal relationships with them. One of his nurses had shoes that squeaked so, Jack teasingly called her, Squeaky. It was hard not to love Jack; he was such a special boy.

Following Jack's radiation treatments, he and his family took a vacation to Mammoth Cave National Park. While on their trip, they spent quality time together as a normal family with no worries making memories while exploring the caves, riding horses, and just enjoyed being with each other. 

Jack battled his unrelenting cancer with such bravery and gained his angel wings just 10 days after his ninth birthday. Throughout his fight, he never let medulloblastoma steal his silliness or love for others. His story is an inspiration to all who knew him. During his short but meaningful life, he taught his family how to enjoy the small things in life and to treasure every moment spent together. 

What Jack had to endure because of this horrific cancer – the pain, the radiation, the chemotherapy – are things no one should have to experience, especially a child. Funding for pediatric brain cancer research is imperative. It is the first step to finding the cure for this devastating disease.

Thank you for choosing to donate to The Cure Starts Now Foundation. 100% of this donation, after credit card processing fees, goes directly towards research to find the homerun cure for cancer starting with pediatric brain cancer research.

If you would like to make a donation by mail please send a check to:  The Cure Starts Now Foundation; 10280 Chester Road; Cincinnati, OH 45215 and put the child's name in the memo.

The family receives notification of all donations made to this tribute fund automatically.