In 2009 the charity Joining Against Cancer in Kids (J-A-C-K) was founded following the death of Jack Brown, aged 7. J-A-C-K’s focus was upon a specific childhood cancer, neuroblastoma. Jack had fought the cancer for more than three years both in the U.K. and the U.S.A. Jack went to the U.S.A to participate in medical trials and he could only do this because people raised money.
Inspired by Jack a group of supporters formed; their name ‘Jacks Pack’. The ‘Pack’ formed from a team of Metropolitan Police Officers who began their efforts while Jack was being treated in New York. The group ran, cycled and even pulled an aircraft to raise money for neuroblastoma. The group now comprises of officers and civilian staff from many different police forces, as well as other organisations. The signature event involves the team running a half marathon in New York’s Central Park; dressed in uniform. From small beginnings 19 years ago the team now numbers over 100. Between 2009 and 2024 money raised through J-A-C-K has been used to help children with Neuroblastoma, support families and to fund clinical research into treatments for this cancer.
J-A-C-K has worked closely in partnership with SKC UK in recent years in jointly funding a number of Research programmes alongside funding towards children's travel, supporting the SKC parent conference and also jointly funding a covid support fund for families needing to isolate. Over the last 5 years J-A-C-K has jointly funded over £450k in Research and Family support initiatives through SKC.
J-A-C-Ks aims and ambitions strongly align with those of SKC.
In 2024 the trustees of J-A-C-K decided to close as a registered charity and to move its activities across to SKC UK. This enables the amazing fundraising activity to continue unchanged and the hugely important investment in Research and Family support to continue whilst recognising that SKC’s ethos and energies were aligned completely with the original motives and purposes of J-A-C-K.
The funds previously held by J-A-C-K have been transferred to SKC and are held alongside all future funds raised for spend of Research and support of Neuroblastoma family's at the discretion of the J-A-C-K guardians who will continue to direct the spend of the fund in the name of Jack a very special little boy.
Jack was a train-loving little boy with a cheeky smile. In January 2005, aged three, Jack developed a limp and after spending over three weeks in Barnet General and Great Ormond Street Hospitals was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma.
Jack began the standard regimen then available in the NHS. Some procedures and medicines seemingly worked while others failed to make an impression on the cancer’s evolution. Chemotherapy was less effective for Jack, while MIBG caused a dramatic reduction in the cancer cells. Surgery to remove Jack’s primary tumour occurred after about 6 months and he then received high-dose chemotherapy and radiotherapy. 12 months after his treatments began Jack was officially no evidence of disease (NED), which was great with a very big BUT.
Jack’s prognosis remained poor, there was an almost inevitability to the cancer’s aggressive return and the UK had exhausted its arsenal of therapies.
Jack’s family had researched medical trials being conducted in New York, specifically antibody treatment. In April 2006, after raising £200,000 in three months, the family travelled to New York for monoclonal antibody treatment. At the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), Jack received the 3F8 antibody treatment followed by radiotherapy. Despite ongoing treatment, doctors discovered that Jack had relapsed with neuroblastoma in his brain.
In December 2006, Jack developed a headache. A prompt scan showed the presence of a tumour within his brain. Jack and his parents immediately flew to New York in the hope of him receiving a unique combination of surgical skill and antibody treatment. A surgical team managed to resect the brain tumour and the antibody 8H9 was deployed. Jack responded well and all evidence of the cancer within his central nervous system and brain disappeared.
In October 2007, scan results showed brave Jack had relapsed in both legs, his knees, thighs, pelvis, hip and right shoulder. In the following months, the cancer also returned to Jack’s femur and bone marrow. In January 2008, he travelled to Vermont for a treatment which had the potential to make the cancer cells more sensitive to chemotherapy. With cycles of chemotherapy continuing over the following few months, tests suggested once more that Jack had been cleared of neuroblastoma everywhere except his femur. He received radiation treatment directly to his femur to address this residual disease.
In September 2008, Jack returned to the UK where his oncology team worked with his US team and prescribed medications until he returned to New York for further antibody treatment at MSKCC. All scans and tests continued to remain clear, and Jack was finally termed NED (no evidence of disease).
In November 2008, Jack was hospitalised with a severe urinary tract infection. The underlying cause was the BK Virus, which occurs in those with suppressed immune systems. However, it was later discovered that Jack had relapsed in multiple areas – leg, pelvis, spine, shoulders, arms, and jaw.
After first deciding that Jack would remain in the UK and receive palliative care, his family soon returned to Vermont to pursue further chemotherapy treatment.
Despite giving Jack all the treatment possible, the neuroblastoma continued to progress. Brave Jack passed away in Vermont on 3rd May 2009 surrounded by his parents and siblings.
Jack, forever 7.
It is easy to read this story and dwell on the cancer, the treatments and their apparent domination of a young child. One must correct or rebalance this misconception. Jack loved, laughed, made friends, had adventures and enriched everyone he met. Jack wasn’t stoic or heroic, but he generated an energy that dwarfed his plight and repelled his enemy. We supported Jack, but it was Jack who truly carried us on his journey." Jack's dad, Richard
J-A-C-K and Solving Kids' Cancer UK have partnered on multiple research projects, as well as on the Emergency Fund that we co-launched during COVID-19 to provide financial support to families affected by neuroblastoma and a travel fund to support travel and accommodation costs for families travelling for treatment.
In 2018, J-A-C-K joined our international grant call which funded the landmark TITAN study. This Phase III trial is looking at a targeted therapy for children with a specific genetic feature in their cancer known as ALK. It is the first joint trial between the research networks, SIOPEN and COG, which means children will be enrolled on a study simultaneously in Europe and North America for the first ever time.
J-A-C-K has also partnered on our two most recent projects that were funded through our 2019 grant call- Solving Indolent Neuroblastoma and Optimizing Immunotherapy for Refractory Neuroblastoma. Both projects focus exclusively on refractory neuroblastoma, where disease is highly resistant to treatment. Through the combined outcomes of these projects, we hope to be able to identify this type of disease more easily at diagnosis and be able to treat it more effectively when it occurs.
Solving Kids’ Cancer UK makes no deductions from donations made to the J-A-C-K Fund. 100% of the funds are currently designated to Research for the benefit of children with Neuroblastoma and wider support for Neuroblastoma families.
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