I walk in honor of Jeremy Dubasik. I was not fortunate enough to have met him during his time on earth, but his memory lives so strongly in the hearts of those who loved him that his life continues to touch those who never even knew him. This is the story of his struggle.
Jeremy was a year old when he began his battle with cancer. After three misdiagnoses, the diagnosis of Undifferentiated Round Cell Sarcoma of the orbital tissue, sinuses and lymphatic system was confirmed. Jeremy began chemotherapy in 2001 to eradicate the tumors. Several months later the tumors were gone, but in January 2002, the cancer was discovered in his bone marrow. A stem cell transplant was his only hope for recovery. Jeremy underwent a cord blood transplant on May 28, 2002 at University Medical Center in Tucson, AZ where he remained until the end of July that year. His total length of stay at UTMC was over 3 months. His mother, my friend Virginia, never left his side. His father, Matt, and his siblings (Tatum, then 8, and Noah, then 4) came to visit on the weekends. With little hope of survival due to transplant related complications, his family honored his wish to go home. After a valiant 18-month battle against the horrible disease, Jeremy passed away on August 5, three months before his third birthday.
There were over 500 people at Jeremy’s memorial service. Clearly, to know him was to love him.
Please help me honor the memory of this very special boy. Register to walk with me or donate today. Our efforts help support the families of children treated at St. Jude Children’s Hospital and fund research they do so that stories like Jeremy’s have a happier ending.
With love, Alicia DiDonato