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Jared’s life started in 1983 on the day of the Falklands Island invasion and the tumult and upheaval, inherent in war, seemed to follow him throughout his life. As a baby he had to be put into a sitting position with his arms and legs wrapped in order for him to achieve sleep. Throughout his childhood and teen years learning disabilities and anxiety disorders plagued him. Finally when he reached young manhood, instead of opportunities and new horizons greeting him he was diagnosed with a Rhabdomyosarcoma, deadly form of cancer, which eventually ended his life after a five year up and down battle.
With all these adversities, where a lesser individual would quit or turn to substance abuse, Jared had the inner strength and fortitude to fight through all his obstacles and achieve success.
Despite his learning problems, Jared worked hard and decided to graduate a year earlier from high school by going to summer school to finish a required course for graduation. He got an A in that course and started Junior college the next semester. When he graduated from the school he found that he did so well that he was accepted into several senior colleges. He decided on Ramapo College and was registered for the fall semester when he was first diagnosed with cancer. After a year on Chemo and radiation, he went into remission and subsequently started going to Rowan University, so he could more easily go to periodic scans and checkups in Pennsylvania. After 3 years in Rowan, Jared graduated with a 3.4 gpa falling just short of graduating with honors. He started to look for a position when a scan showed a recurrence of the cancer. This came as a shock both to the family and to his oncologist. After another year of chemo, which he submitted to courageously, he was once again considered to be in remission. He started a clinical trail of an immunothearpy that we hoped would keep any remaining cells at bay but unfortunately the cancer came back aggressively and finally ended his battle on March 23, 2010.
Throughout all his ordeals Jared maintained a strong will and tenacity to survive and tried every possible alternative treatment method, with vigor and purpose in order to fight his disease. Some of these included acupuncture, herbs, hypnosis, frequency therapy and others.
Despite his strong will to live, the chemo effects on his body bothered him considerably. He did not want to be seen without hair on his head and eyebrows and became reclusive at times.
Jared was not a social butterfly so he never had a bevy of friends, but to his select group, he was a loyal and good friend who would help out any of them and their families without hesitation. His generosity was extended after his death when his corneas were donated to the Gift of Life allowing the recipients to see again.
Please help us win Jared’s Juggernaut against Rhabdomyosarcoma by donating so that we can find a cure !!
