As a martial artist and philosopher, he knew that we could choose our attitude, whether to be overwhelmed by cancer and let it destroy our spirit or to fight back as he did, with dignity, strength, outspoken truthfulness, and good humor...
...we have chosen to continue Jake's fight.
In the US, about 12,400 children and adolescents are diagnosed with cancer each year. That’s the equivalent of two average-size classrooms every school day.
The JWF logo symbolizes breakthrough innovation: the strength of science in the double helix of DNA breaking through to new treatments and a cancer-free future.
When our son Jake was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, he was in his senior year at Cherry Hill High School East. He battled both Hodgkins lymphoma and acute myeloid leukemia with an indomitable spirit that inspires us still. Read more about Jake's story here.
Special thanks to our sponsors
Cancer is the #1 cause of disease-related death in children and despite advances, most pediatric cancer treatments remain highly toxic and have not changed in decades. In this age of unprecedented technological and scientific promise, we can--and must--bring the power of innovation to pediatric cancer research. Learn more here.
We’re funding innovative research to help find less toxic and more effective treatments for children and young adults with cancer. One of our grants supports the development of new “antibody-drug conjugate” technology to more precisely attack cancer cells while leaving healthy cells intact. Another takes aim at the stem cells that lie at the root of the disease, and a third supports basic research to understand the cellular mechanism through which gene mutations lead to acute myeloid leukemia. You can read more about these exciting research projects here.
Sign up for Fight Back with Fitness. You challenge yourself to a personal fitness goal and raise funds by promising to stick with it. You get fit and kids get a better chance at beating cancer. Everyone wins.
The Jake Wetchler Foundation for Innovative Pediatric Cancer Research is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization and all donations are tax-deductible.