The Jenny Souris Foundation (JSF) is stepping up to support five-year-old Jack Schofield, who is bravely battling stage four neuroblastoma.
After a year-long fight with the aggressive cancer, Jack’s journey has taken a heartbreaking turn, but a new hope has emerged thanks to the foundation’s upcoming fundraiser on Wednesday, October 16, from 6.45pm to 10.45pm at Le Montage, Sydney.
Jack’s mum, Jamiee Thompson, shared their story with The Greek Herald, shedding light on the difficult road they’ve travelled since Jack’s diagnosis in April 2023.
“He came home from daycare with a limp, and that was our first indication that something was wrong,” Jamiee said.
After weeks of tests, doctors discovered a grapefruit-sized tumour next to Jack’s right kidney, with the cancer already spread to nearly all his bones and bone marrow.
Despite undergoing eight rounds of chemotherapy, multiple surgeries, a bone marrow transplant, and 12 rounds of radiation, Jack’s cancer relapsed in May 2024, cutting his survival chances from 50 per cent down to just 5 per cent.
Since the relapse, Jack has been undergoing an intense combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy. But the family is now seeking life-saving treatment overseas that isn’t available in Australia.
Jamiee explained how they were connected to the JSF through another family whose child had also battled neuroblastoma. Their child was the first fundraising recipient selected by the JSF, but after they were accepted into an Australian drug trial for neuroblastoma (which Jack was ineligible for because he had relapsed), they offered their place to the five-year-old instead.
This connection led to the foundation stepping in to help raise the funds needed for Jack’s treatment in Italy, where a cutting-edge therapy known as CAR T-cell treatment is available. The treatment costs a staggering €315,000, and with travel and accommodation for their four-month stay, the family anticipates needing around $700,000.
“We’ve been so incredibly fortunate,” Jamiee said, noting that the family has already raised $596,000. But with $104,000 still to go, the JSF’s fundraiser will play a crucial role in helping them reach their goal.
“We’re just so humbled by the Jenny Souris Foundation for getting behind our family. You know, they’re an incredible bunch of individuals.
“I think, in my mind, it’s a story of bad luck and good luck at the same time, and just kindness.”
Jamiee also shared how Jack’s courage and resilience have been a beacon of hope for their family.
“He walks into the hospital every time singing this little song to himself: ‘Don’t give in, don’t give up. Just get up and try, try again’,” she explained.
With the support of the JSF, the upcoming fundraiser will not only help provide Jack with the treatment he desperately needs, but it will also raise awareness for children across Australia who face similar battles.
Jamiee emphasised the importance of these efforts: “In the shorter term, it’s to save the life of one child—my child—that’s been effectively left behind by the Australian Government. But the treatment he will receive, and the data collected, will help future children in Australia by proving additional treatment options should be available.”
The fundraiser is a critical lifeline for Jack and his family, offering hope in the face of unimaginable challenges. Through the generosity of the JSF and the wider community, there is still hope that Jack will receive the treatment he needs and continue his brave fight.
The Jenny Souris Foundation’s fundraising gala will be held on Wednesday, October 16, from 6.45pm to 10.45pm at Le Montage, Sydney, located at 38 Frazer Street, Lilyfield, NSW. For more information and ticket reservations, please book here or contact fayssal@jsf.org.au.
*The Greek Herald is a proud media partner of this event.
