Jack Edward Lynch graced the world with his presence on February 5, 2002. He arrived via Caesarean section at Lawrence Hospital in Bronxville, N.Y., a happy and very healthy 10 pounds (hence the c-section!). The Lynches lived happily in New Rochelle, N.Y., adjusting to the expansion of our clan, job changes, vacations, a new pregnancy and all of the usual things that make life interesting.

In August of 2003, we sold our house in N.Y., and moved to North Andover, Mass., to be closer to Di’s family. Just over a month after moving to New England, Jack developed a cold, which then turned into pneumonia. On October 13, we realized that something was seriously wrong with Jack and took him to the pediatrician, who immediately sent us to New England Medical Center (NEMC) and the Floating Children’s Hospital. After 11 days of excruciating tests, painful exams and nail-biting, tear-your-hair out waiting, Jack was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, the most common form of cancer in infants.

The next 28 days were spent in the hospital undergoing more tests, meeting with this specialist and that and learning about what we were up against. Neuroblastoma is hard to explain. It’s not like having lung cancer or prostate cancer. “Neuro” stands for “nerves,” and blastoma refers to a “cancer that affects immature or developing cells.” According to the American Cancer Society, not only is neuroblastoma the most common form of infant cancer, it is the third most common childhood cancer. There are approximately 650 new cases of neuroblastoma diagnosed each year, and the average age of a child at diagnosis is 17 months. In seven out of 10 cases, the cancer isn’t even diagnosed until it has already metastasized, or spread, to other parts of the body, as was the case with Jack. Jack has stage 4 Neuroblastoma with a primary tumor in his abdomen and tumor cells in his bone marrow

Those 4 weeks in the hospital were the hardest and most terrible days of our lives. During this time, the support we received from family and friends was absolutely amazing. Even now, we are so grateful and blessed to have such extraordinary friends and wonderful family. Not to mention Jack. Jack, like most children, is very strong, extremely resilient and has given us the strength to fight this fight.