Jake was only seven months old and was everything a baby should be for his age. Bruising under his one eye gave his Mom and Dad concern as Jake was a ‘careful’ baby. Then his second eye began to bruise, and a trip down to the SickKids Emergency department, meant that life would never be the same. Within 24 hours the word no one wants to hear associated with a child happened, cancer. Jake was diagnosed with Stage 4 High Risk Neuroblastoma, and the bruising under his eyes were from a secondary tumour, often how this childhood cancer is discovered. Jake was faced with less than a 50% chance of survival.
Neuroblastoma is responsible for 8-10% of all childhood cancers, and is the most common malignancy in infants and the leading cause of all cancer-related death in childhood. Neuroblastoma usually occurs in children under 5 years, and is the most common tumour in babies under 1 year of age. This childhood cancer is seen as a heterogeneous disease where each patient has a different mutation of this primitive type cell. Jake’s oncologists that direct the SickKids Neuroblastoma program are busy day to day with treatment programs and research that includes precision medicine and tumour sequencing. Most cancer research money is not spent on childhood cancers, and directed towards larger cancer populations. This needs to change, and Jake’s Touch-a-Truck has all donations going 100% to SickKids Neuroblastoma Research.
Jake wants to help as he has gone through multiple therapies that include multiple sessions of chemotherapy and radiation. Jake is seen as apart of the ‘Graduating Class’ and he wants more children to be able to be a survivor of Neuroblastoma. From removal of his primary tumour, stem cell transplant, and his parents authorizing Jake to be a part of an immunotherapy trial study; Jake has been through a lot and had not even turned 2 years of age. Now there is focus on Jake and late effects of treatment that can sometimes be obstacles both his parents and himself need to address.
Jake knows he had cancer and leads a life where we know that NED is something you want to hear. Jake has been ‘No Evidence of Disease’ for over 5 years! Come out and support Jake’s Touch-a-Truck, and know you will be helping Neuroblastoma Research at SickKids, and kids like Jake be able to get in the Driver’s seat!