More Than a Cancer Diagnosis
Meghan Abraham sat down with Kendra Connor, Executive Director of the Treasure Chest Foundation, to tell the story of her son Jacob and their experience with the Foundation.
Meghan began by recalling the beginning of Jacob’s battle, when on August 28, 2014, her 10-month-old son was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), a rare form of cancer that develops in the cells of the soft tissue. Although it is a rare cancer, RMS is the most common soft tissue cancer found in children. At the start of his treatment, Jacob endured various biopsies, bone marrow tests and the placement of his port. Two weeks after his diagnosis, he started 42 weeks of chemo. At week 16, he began receiving proton radiation treatments Monday through Friday for six weeks. There were times during those six weeks when Jacob would attend radiation therapy and then immediately head to the other clinic to receive his chemotherapy. Jacob continued his battle with cancer, which included scans, surgery and a clinical trial. Jacob spent most of his life in and out of the hospitals and clinics that helped him fight his battle. His doctors often told Meghan he was a “healthy” sick kid, but towards the end, when he went home on hospice, Meghan had to struggle with how to explain to an almost three-year-old what was happening. “Whenever he wasn’t feeling well, Jacob seemed to understand that he was sick and that it was time to visit the hospital, so when he was sent home for hospice, he did not want to go home.” Meghan recalls. “No one thinks it will be their child, grandchild, niece or nephew that will get cancer, but you hear those words and you’re filled with apprehension.”
On August 19, 2016, after nearly two years of a hard-fought battle, Jacob passed away in his home surrounded by his loved ones. But cancer wasn’t who Jacob was, and while it impacted most of his all-too-brief life, his friends and family choose instead to remember Jacob for the things he loved. “Jacob loved Paw Patrol,” Meghan says. “He had everything Paw Patrol—clothes, dinnerware, everything. He also loved Peppa Pig.”
Jacob visited the Treasure Chests at his clinic and the hospital countless times. Meghan recalls how Jacob was a kid who didn’t ask for much and that he was unsure about the Treasure Chest the first time he was able to pick out an item. Jacob soon got the hang of it though, always selecting one of his favorite items that included crayons, coloring books, play dough, stickers and Hot Wheel cars.
Nowadays, in honor of Jacob’s birthday each and every year, Meghan and her loved ones collect toys similar to his favorite items and donate them to the Treasure Chest Foundation for kids who are currently fighting cancer. Over the past nine years Meghan has raised $10,965 and collected more than 25,100 toys and $6,655 in gift cards.
As Meghan opened up about Jacob’s story, the difficult times and the memories she will forever cherish, she spoke about the importance and the effect of the Treasure Chest and how it impacted both herself and Jacob throughout his treatments:
“The Treasure Chest provides comfort, distraction and hope, not only to the kids but also to the parents. The toys give the kids something to play with while they are in the hospital and something to look forward to when they are going through their treatments. The Treasure Chest also helps the parents because sometimes we are at our wit’s end and we don’t know what to do or how to help our kids when we feel like our hands are tied. The Treasure Chest occupies the kids and gives us a little bit of a break to perhaps talk to the treatment team or even to just take a breath.”
Meghan recently joined the Board of Directors of the Treasure Chest Foundation, and for that we are grateful. She was initially hesitant when first asked to join the Board, saying that it had never crossed her mind and that she was content continuing her yearly donations. But after thinking it over, Meghan decided she could make an even greater impact by becoming a Board member. “I think I have a lot to bring as a parent who had a child who benefitted from the Treasure Chest. And as a donor, I have seen firsthand what good it does and the hope it can bring. It takes a village when your child is going through cancer treatments. There were some days I was on the verge of tears in the hospital because I did not know what to do and the Treasure Chest brought relief.” In her first few months serving on the Board of Directors, Meghan has learned much about the Foundation’s complex process of collecting and sending out toys. She is excited and ready to learn and get more involved.
Meghan brings a fresh perspective to the Board of Directors. We are so blessed that she has decided to use her gifts and talents to assist us in our mission of providing comfort to thousands of kids just like Jacob.
