The Foundation's Goal
The Friends of Jaclyn Foundation (FOJ) is a 501(c)(3), non-profit, charitable organization that improves the quality of life for children with pediatric brain tumors and their families formed in 2005.
FOJ matches a child in need of love, support and friendship with a college or high school sports team based on geographic basis. Through a due diligence process, the foundation screens for the best match based on the child and family's needs and the team, coach and athletic director's commitment to our foundation's goals.
After the adoption is completed, the child becomes an extension of the team where a unique bond is formed between the team members, the child and the family. The benefit to all is a personal loving support network that creates a unique bond. The result of the FOJ adoption is the child feels involved and each individual team member gains insight into the value of helping others. Additionally, FOJ has seen this relationship forges a closer bond among team members magnifying the importance of a team operating as a single unit.
Through the adoption relationship, the child is involved in the team through text messaging, emails, phone calls, facebook and twitter postings. Through the wide reaching press coverage, FOJ has helped improve the awareness of pediatric brain tumors.
FOJ has completed over 230 adoptions in over 20 different sports. We currently have over 1,000 schools on a waiting list as FOJ grows from a small organization into a larger one.
The Foundation's Beginning
The Foundation was inspired by Jaclyn Murphy, who was diagnosed with a medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor, in March 2004 when she was nine-years-old. Jaclyn's strength and courage, relentless spirit, and joy for life are an inspiration to those who know her. Jaclyn's wish is "for all the children in the hospitals to be healed."
It is our goal for Jaclyn to be able to continue to touch people with her smile, her kind heart, her hope and faith that some day there will be a cure! In the meantime, it is our hope that through Jaclyn's example, we can help to improve the lives of other children and families dealing with pediatric cancer.
The Friends of Jaclyn foundation has created an unprecedented network of families, teams, coaches, athletic directors, supporters, volunteers and financial supporters. We thank you for your continued support.
If you would like to know more about Friends of Jaclyn, please attend one of our events, or click on the news section or simply read about some of our adoptions.
Jaclyn's Poem
This poem without a doubt is not a lie friends and family repeatedly
ask why many people dislike the disease cancer all we want is a truthful answer many patients
may loose their hair i must very sadly declare there are all different types: bone blood and breast but
having this disease is such a dangerous quest some people loose their own life its like getting stabbed
in the heart with a knife i have a good friend who has a brain tumor God made it that way no
beggars no choosers everybody wishes she would get better but since i cant see her i'll send her a
letter i hate to see her lying that hospital bed it stresses me out and creates a pounding in my head i
really wish to see her run or better yet a laccrosse game won! after all this is her favorite sport and
she knows she will always have my full support this girl named jaclyn is only thirteen but once a
week she has to go through a painful vaccine not many people have felt this before fighting off germs like
it was the start of a war deep down in my heart i really do believe one day this awful experience
will leave i really love this girl with all of my heart and i havent liked this journey from the start i
really hope researchers can find a cure so everybody on earth can be just as pure till the end to God
we will pray for the words we wish the doctor would say although this sickness may make
you very sad we should celebrate for our life and be glad now as this poem is coming to
an end i would really like to say this girl is one amazing friend
~ Kelsey Podmeyer~
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