I wish to go to Turks & Caicos
Jackson
13
cancer
Wish Alumni Then & Now Feature - Jackson
Jackson and his sister during his treatment.
May 2nd, 2016 was a day I will never forget. I had just gotten off the bus and walked home with my sister to find my mom and dad in tears. They raced to hug me and held me as tight as they could. I was frightened and asked my mom what was wrong. My dad said, “Jackson, you have cancer.” I knew my life was about to change.
Days later, we were at UNC’s Cancer Hospital. I was scared, nervous, and had so many questions in my head. That’s when we met my oncologist, Dr. Stuart Gold. He shook my hand and asked if I was scared. I said yes. He led us to a room and told us our plan for the next 8 months. This was the first of many times where Dr. Gold made me feel better.
At my first surgery, they inserted my port and did testicular and bone marrow biopsies. I woke up surrounded by family, all relieved to see me awake. My first round of Chemotherapy lasted 16 painful hours. I was so scared and begged the doctors to stop, or at least slow down the Chemotherapy because it hurt so much. Questions started racing in my mind. Will all Chemotherapy be like this? Am I going to survive? My mind was in a fog from the Chemotherapy, as doubt entered and memories disappeared.
Then, my hair started falling out. I woke up, sat up in my bed, and a bunch of my hair fell into my lap. I glanced back at my pillow to see it covered in hair from the back of my head. I panicked and ran downstairs to my parents’ room. When my parents saw me, they knew what was going on. All my emotions poured out in an instant. That’s when my dad told me that I could wait for the rest to fall out, or I could be brave and take control. So, that’s what I did. We shaved my head, and my dad said, “you’ve got a good head, Jackson.” We all laughed a little and I felt better again.
The outpouring of support was amazing. One friend created a social media hashtag for my journey (#jacksonDstrong). Other friends made our family dinners. Our community even hosted multiple fundraisers. This changed everything for me, and showed me how much people cared. A group of my friends used to do St.Baldricks, but that year they decided to shave their heads for me and raised money for my family. Even though I was weak, tired, and couldn’t go to school, experiencing their never-ending support and love inspired me to fight harder.
On my last day of Chemotherapy, we left at 5:30 AM and were greeted by over 100 people waiting in the neighborhood roundabout. They were there to wish me luck, tell me they loved me and show their support. I was so inspired. After that last round of Chemotherapy, even though I was so tired and weak, I chose to walk out of the office instead of taking a wheelchair. I felt like a new man, and as we were walking out, I stopped my mom and said, “Chemotherapy isn't taking me this time”.
Going back to the beginning of my battle, after my first chemo. A remarkable man, Dr. Dorfman, went to Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina and decided to nominate me as a Wish Kid. When my parents and I found out the news, the first thing I could think of was that now I have a goal to reach at the end of my treatment. I have a plan I have to fulfill. This idea was the driving force that helped me with my battle. I was told that I could have any wish I wanted (within reason). I was filled with joy and happiness at such a dark time. When it came time to decide my wish, I had a vision in mind, and I wanted nothing more than to be as extraordinary as Casey Neistat riding on his boosted board. As I was about to say that I wish for the electric skateboard, I looked up at my parents and my younger sister. The thought hit me that I wasn't in this fight alone. They have been suffering with me and having the stress to make sure that every day I was okay.
I decided that I wanted my wish to be about my whole family. I wanted to take my family to the Bahamas and relax. I told my desire to my granters, and then the magical day was just around the corner. At the 2018 Wish Ball, I was asked to come on stage to talk to my wish granter Mr. Ben Brookhart. He, at the time, was on the board for Eastern North Carolina. Walking up to the stage, the only thing going through my mind was that I had to get up on stage, not mess up, and not do anything that would embarrass myself. Little did I know that I was being called up on stage to watch my wish being granted.
I was full of joy and excitement when Mr. Brookhart joined the crowd together to say, "YOU LEAVE TOMORROW." I will never forget the look on my family's face when this happened. Everyone was happy and beyond excited to relax and to get away from our life for a week. Our final destination was Beaches Turks and Caicos. That trip was full of laughs, new memories, horrible sunburns that I never want to experience again, and lots of family bonding. We had a fantastic time as a family. That was the first time in over a year that we felt "normal" again. Make-A-Wish brightened my family's life when we needed it most.
Today, I am proud to be in remission for five years. Now I want to give back and help others, and I don’t plan on stopping anytime soon. I am so excited to see where life takes me. Due to this driving passion that I have, I am attending East Carolina University in hopes of becoming a nurse. Once I graduate, I want to become a travel nurse, primarily focusing on the pediatric field and helping to find a cure for pediatric cancer.