Jack’s Pack

“Jack is the little brother in our family- the one we love to tease and spoil. He’s got a great smile and a darling dimple. He has spent most of the past year fighting a non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma which was diagnosed during Spring break of third grade. An abdominal tumor diagnosed as Burkitt’s lymphoma required aggressive treatment by chemotherapy. Immediately, the medical team rallied resources and educated us about the disease and the treatment. At the same time- our family and friends sprung into high gear to sort out what it might take to support Jack and our family. As Jack’s Pack of supporters grew- we journeyed through the five rounds of chemo. His tumors responded well, and we felt lucky that it seemed things might be resolved after three intense months. Within a few weeks Jack had some new symptoms and required additional testing. Unfortunately- our hopes of resolution were dashed, and the Lymphoma had relapsed. On the advice of our Indianapolis team, we sought a national expert in Burkitt’s Lymphoma and hoped we could find an open clinical trial. This search brought us far from home, to New York State.

As we faced the new chapter in New York, we felt compelled to try to capture our family just as we were. We had hoped to capture some family photos during the preceding months and had not been able to work it out. Thanks to the amazing network of photographers cultivated by a Little Rae of Hope, we were able to welcome Maegan Dougherty to meet our family during one of weekends Jack’s siblings were visiting. Jack was feeling quite ill on this day, and was facing some of the toughest weeks to date in his journey. What she was able to capture was the essence of our family unit. The images are instant family heirlooms . They will always show how brave all of our children have been during this time. They represent the importance of togetherness, good humor, and touch to the healing process.

One things these images don’t capture is the strength we have drawn from the love we have received. We have been truly humbled and irretrievably changed by the tremendous acts of love shown to us by our incredible Jack’s Pack. This tribe- made up of our family; our oldest friends; our newest friends; our coworkers;our kids’ classmates; friends of family; friends of friends; and even complete strangers- has been beside us every step of this journey- and even now- as Jack’s journey continues- we rely on Jack’s Pack.”

A huge thank you to Maegan Dougherty Photography for stepping in last minute to capture these priceless images.
2016-01-20_0004.jpg
2016-01-20_0005.jpg
2016-01-20_0006.jpg
2016-01-20_0007.jpg
2016-01-20_0008.jpg
2016-01-20_0009.jpg
2016-01-20_0010.jpg
2016-01-20_0011.jpg
2016-01-20_0012.jpg
2016-01-20_0013.jpg
2016-01-20_0014.jpg
2016-01-20_0015.jpg
2016-01-20_0016.jpg
2016-01-20_0017.jpg
2016-01-20_0003.jpg

2016-01-20_0002.jpg
2016-01-20_0001.jpg

Follow Us!

alittleraeofhope@gmail.com