HARRISON, Ohio — "You kind of ask yourself, 'Why me? Why did this happen?'"
It’s a question 17-year-old Jackson Crabtree thinks about occasionally. A question that might not have an answer. Crabtree was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma last fall.
"The doctor was so frantic and he said the word cancer, and I just kind of blocked it out like I didn’t just hear that,” said his mother Kelly Niemann. “At the end of the conversation, I said, 'Did you say cancer?' He said, 'I did.'"
Niemann's first call was to Jackson’s father, Dan Crabtree.
"It was like I didn’t hear what I just heard. You just kind of go numb," Dan Crabtree said.
Ewing sarcoma is a rare type of cancer that forms in the bones.
"[The doctor] says that this is an aggressive cancerous tumor, we need to take action right away. So, when I heard the word cancer everything came to a screeching halt, and I’m not joking I broke down and cried," Jackson Crabtree said.
In an instant, Crabtree's life changed.
“It was doctor's appointments, lab work, chemotherapy,” Jackson Crabtree said.
Niemann quit her job to become his full-time caretaker.
"We spend half our life at the hospital," she said.
What shocks his parents is how strong Jackson has been since his diagnosis.
"Even when he’s in the hospital throwing up, he’s sick, he’s still joking around and being himself. Me, I just want to crawl into bed and cry all day," Niemann said.
The family goes to the hospital every two weeks for treatments, staying there six days at a time. Their medical bills quickly started to pile up.
"Between my board members and myself, we felt compelled to help," said Brian Ibold, president of The Help Squad.
Ibold said his nonprofit financially helps struggling families, focusing on single mothers and fathers. He heard about Crabtree's story through friends and planned a fundraiser. He’s never planned an event of this size before.
"We have almost 60, 65 baskets to raffle, split the pot, all kinds of things and every single dollar goes to Jackson and Jackson’s family," Ibold said.
The fundraiser will be at the Blue Note Harrison on June 25 between 2-5 p.m. In addition to the raffles, there will be live music and food trucks.
"It’s overwhelming the outpouring of love and support we’ve gotten. I feel like I’ll never be able to say thank you enough," Niemann said.
She added the money they raise on Sunday will also help with everyday expenses for her son.
"The tumor is on the right side of his pelvis, so the whole right side of his pelvis is gone. They did reconstruction surgery to try and stabilize that pelvis, but he does have lifetime restrictions now, He’ll never be able to run again. His leg will probably shorten about one to two inches," she said.
Leading up to his diagnosis, Crabtree experienced a lot of back pain.
"At that time the insurance company would not approve for him to get an MRI, so first we had to try physical therapy," Niemann said.
He then started anti-inflammatory medicine. It helped for a while, but not forever.
"He started to have more pain and he was limping pretty bad, a really bad limp and he really couldn’t sit down. He would cry it hurt so bad," Niemann.
His father said the outcome would have been the same if they got an MRI sooner, but encourages other families not to wait.
"If you ever think you’re in a situation like this, try and push for an MRI sooner and try not to let insurance dictate the treatment," Dan Crabtree said.
Crabtree said what keeps him going is the support he gets from the people who love him the most.
"Having all the support, it really kept me thinking positive through my chemotherapy stays in the hospital," he said.
Something else that helps him stay positive is focusing on the things that make him happy.
"Play video games, draw, I’m a big fan of roller coasters. I like Kings Island, Cedar Point, all those big parks," Jackson Crabtree said. "I’ve been watching POVs to keep myself happy. I actually draw roller coasters."
Crabtree has two more rounds of chemotherapy before he starts radiation.
"Because his cancer is so rare and aggressive, we don’t know what’s ahead," she said.
For now, the teen and his family are hopeful and are looking forward to the fundraiser.
If you can’t make it on Sunday, you can make a donation on The Help Squad’s website. In the note section of payment, you can write that you would like the money to go to Jackson.
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