Seven-year-old Jackson has a heart of gold. A friend to all, he is witty, smart, adventurous, and athletic. However, his greatest quality is the kindness he shows to everyone he meets.
If he isn’t playing soccer, basketball, or baseball, he’s watching football and hockey. And, when Jackson makes time for video games, it’s no surprise that FIFA, a soccer game, is his favorite.
In July 2023, a seemingly minor fall resulted in the discovery of a tumor in his left leg, leading to a diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma, a pediatric bone cancer. Treatment started right away, including 14 rounds of aggressive chemotherapy, 16 blood transfusions, multiple platelet transfusions, and surgery to remove the tumor and the top half of his left fibula.
Over the course of 8 months, he spent more than 60 nights at Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital, in Portland, ME, under the care of Dr. Aaron Weiss. After surgery, the athlete tackled the two to three times a week physical therapy appointments with the same energy he displays on the sports field.

Jackson and his mom in a hospital bed.
Being isolated from friends during treatment was one of the hardest parts of his time in the hospital. Fortunately, Jackson was able to keep up with his studies using a device provided by Grahamtastic Connection, an organization that donates free technology to hospitalized children.
Today, Jackson shows no evidence of disease. For the next six months, he will have scans every three months. Then, the frequency will decrease to every four months for a year, every six months for two years, and once a year for the final two years.

Left: Jackson and his sister, Sofia. Middle: Jackson with his family while doing PT. Right: Jackson and his family at a baseball game.
Through it all, Jackson is grateful that his parents, Kyle and Martine, and older sister, Sofia, were with him every step of the way.
“Jackson and Sofia are best buds. Like most siblings they argue from time to time, but their bond is unbreakable. They even have a made-up land, Dubear, completed with a make-believe language, Dubearish.”
-Martine, Jackson’s mom
Jackson’s family believes in celebrating each cancer milestone. From his diagnosis day, surgery anniversary, clean scan results, and most importantly, ringing the bell to signal the end of treatment, they acknowledge how fortunate they are to reach the next milestone in his cancer journey.

Jackson at the beach – JC Strong.
A lover of Halloween, the color orange, Phineas and Ferb, Marvel characters, dinosaurs, cars, and his 2nd grade class at Kennebunk Elementary School, Jackson is a firm believer that pizza represents the four major food groups and would eat it for every meal if allowed. He dreams of becoming a builder when he grows up.

Jackson and his family at the beach.
His family is grateful for childhood cancer researchers and donors who allow kids to fulfill their dreams.
“We cannot express our gratitude enough to those who donate their time, energy, and resources to fund childhood cancer research. It means more to families like ours than you could ever know. And to researchers, thank you for making a career of working to find better treatment options for our most precious gifts.”
-Martine, Jackson’s mom
Every child deserves the chance to dream big, just like Jackson. Your support fuels the research that turns hope into reality for kids fighting cancer.