05/20/2026
Just a little bit long, but we have some new followers to this page who might be wondering why this page is called “TeamJess”…..
We would like to take a moment to share the inspiration behind our involvement in supporting kids & families with cancer.
Our daughter, Jess, was a 12-year-old student at LM when she began experiencing wrist pain. After X-rays, blood work, multiple doctor’s visits, and an MRI, we were admitted to Cincinnati Children’s for more testing where we received the devastating diagnosis on 9.27.16 of Acute Myeloid Leukemia, KMT2a. We wouldn’t leave the hospital again for another 35 days and then return after 5 days at home for another 30+ days repeating that schedule until 2.27.17 when she was discharged and remained in remission. Returning to normal life had its challenges but she prevailed and is now about to celebrate her 10 year cancer anniversary this Fall.
The outpouring of support from our community, including Jess's school friends, cheer friends, teachers, and staff, was instrumental in helping her & us navigate this difficult period of her life. Their kindness, care, and unwavering support gave Jess & our family the strength and hope needed to persevere.
We created this page in round two (October 2016) of her treatment to share updates with our friends, family, our community, and keep them informed about Jess's journey.
Being inpatient meant we were more isolated and Jess missed many normal things as life went on around her/us. This page wasn’t used for attention or gripes about our situation, those that followed us then know we used it to shine light on staying positive in hard times and pulling through speed bumps and celebrating “FriYAYs”. It was a source of encouragement then for us and our community and continues to be used for that purpose and more.
The term 'TeamJess' was a constant reminder of the community's love and support & our desire to mirror that for others. Through the past decade as we've moved forward, we've come to realize the importance of community in overcoming adversity and the difference it can make in the lives of those facing childhood cancer. Community matters because no one is meant to go through life alone. In the good times, it gives us people to celebrate with. In the hard times, it gives us strength, support, and hope when we need it most. A strong community reminds us that kindness, connection, and showing up for one another can truly change lives.
Through this thinking & desire to mirror the love & support we received, our Little Miami Gold Families Group was born and today we have 10 families in our community who are just that:
“Community” to one other. It’s an honor to support, encourage, and lift them up how and when we can!
We are forever grateful that through the most difficult part of our lives as a family that hope can still be shared, that lifting up others can be in the forefront, that raising awareness about what kids face and endure can remain important to our community.
With Love,
Jo (Jess’s mom)
