Jay at the New York Public Library Fall 2012.
Jeffrey “Jay” Ross, III was born on November 10, 2009 in Tampa, FL. He was perfectly healthy and developed normally until he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in February 2011, when he was 14 months old. His parents received the initial diagnosis at their local children’s hospital, and traveled the next day to Miami for an appointment with a specialist. What was expected to be a 1-2 day visit, turned into a 2 month-long stay as Jay was evaluated by a team of physicians.
Once the family had a definitive diagnosis and treatment plan, they decided to travel to New York for a second opinion. Jay underwent surgery to remove the tumors, and was left completely blind. He adapted extremely well to the loss of his sight, and was in remission for a year. During that time, the family moved from Tampa to Alexandria, VA in order to be closer to Jay’s doctors in New York.
In April of 2012, during Jay’s one year check-up, it was discovered that he had a new brain tumor, which was one of the complications of his original diagnosis. Jay and his parents spent 5 months in New York City as Jay endured 5 rounds of chemotherapy, 5 more surgeries, and a stem cell transplant.
In September 2012, the family was able to return to Virginia in the hopes that Jay’s treatment had been successful. In November of that year, they traveled back to New York for a follow up visit. At that time it was discovered that Jay had tumors growing in his brain and along his spinal cord. Doctors did not feel that further treatment would be successful, and Jay passed away 3 weeks later, one month after his 3rd birthday.
Jay’s parents created the Jay Ross Foundation because they are keenly aware of the challenges that families face when they have a child who is diagnosed with cancer. In addition to the challenge of making numerous life or death decisions concerning the treatment of their child’s illness, parents must also manage the financial aspects associated with the disease. The concerns often include travel and lodging expenses when the best care is found far away from the family’s hometown.
The Jay Ross Foundation seeks to provide financial assistance to families so that they are able to focus less on financial concerns, and more on ensuring that these children receive the best care possible. Please support our cause by spreading the word and making a donation today!