The Legacy of young Jack Kemp - car repairs for his family

? Hello!
This funding application is for a family we got to know at Ronald McDonald house SA. They have suffered life’s cruellest blow by losing their little son to an extremely aggressive, rare form of brain cancer. We are hoping to raise funds for their car to be repaired.

This was something that started out as Jack’s family noticing his face looking slightly different than usual. This eventuated into a devastating discovery of a tumour. I guess nobody can imagine this kind of horror unless they have had to go through it personally.

Over the years, the family made countless trips to and from Adelaide (7hours one way), for multiple major surgeries & lengthy stints at the Women’s & Children’s hospital. This created extra challenges for them, trying to work around/keep their jobs whilst staying on hand at RMH to be near their little boy.

Despite the best efforts made, and bravest fights endured (with each of his five major surgeries), Jack passed away just shy of his 9th Birthday.

We became friends with Grace & her family at Ronald McDonald house. This is not how you want to make friends as it generally means you & your child are dealing with a pretty serious hospital trip away from home.

If you have ever attended a funeral where you see the Dad’s face, carrying his own child’s casket to the hearse, that image will never leave your memory. Grace (Jack’s Mum), & Jack’s Auntie & Uncle were also carrying his casket but Jack’s Dad’s face in particular was an image that me & my husband will never forget.

Despite this beautiful little boy’s deal given in life, he inspired everyone who met him as well as people who hadn’t. He would always give a thumbs up and say “you don’t know if you don’t try.” He is still inspiring people to this day.

With a small donation from a lot of people, we wish to get their family car back on the road again. This is the car in which they spent many, many hours with Jack, it holds a lot of special memories & it needs to get back on the road again!

Before the websites for Clear Cell Meningioma are mentioned, I would like to say this. Jack’s family are hard-working, proud, kind, generous, & friendly people. They carefully & thoughtfully listen to the minutia of others’ everyday/run-of-the-mill problems. They care & they help people. They are not related to wealthy people & they reluctantly agreed to this. They are genuine, decent people who try to look on the sunny side of life even though the ever painful, jarring nightmare of missing their boy does not go away. Thank-you for reading.

Feel free to share & if you wish to throw in a few bucks, it is very greatly appreciated but don’t feel bad if you don’t. X

www.ajnr.org/ajnr-case-collections-diagnosis/clear-cell-meningioma (American Journal of Neuroradiology)

www.cancer.gov/rare-brain-spine-tumor/tumors/meningioma