November 2019 | Vol. 13 Iss. 11
FREE DRAPER COMMUNITY COMES TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE, SUPPORT 7-YEAR-OLD BATTLING BRAIN CANCER By Stephanie Yrungaray | s.yrungaray@mycityjournals.com
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riends, family, neighbors, schoolmates and community members gathered together to welcome home 7-year-old Draper resident Billie Jackson at Billie’s Boo Bash. The Jackson family’s life was upended in July during a vacation in California when they found out their healthy, active, fun-loving daughter had medulloblastoma, a very rare brain cancer. “It was the worst thing ever,” said Dustin Jackson, Billie’s dad. “You are sitting there thinking about going home and what to fix your kids for lunch and then you find out your child has a tumor in her brain.” The Jacksons were sent immediately via ambulance to the Children’s Hospital of Orange County. The day after the brain tumor was discovered, a successful surgery removed all of the tumor but left Billie with no coordination in her right arm and temporarily unable to walk. The Jacksons stayed in California for another week and a half to find out the results of the tumor biopsy. Billie had WNT-activated medulloblastoma. “There are four subtypes of medulloblastoma — only 10% of cases have the type Billie has. The other three types are very aggressive,” said Jackson. “The prognosis for Billie
is a 70–80% five-year survival rate. It has one of the best outlooks to be cured.” After returning home to Utah, the Jacksons took Billie to Primary Children’s Hospital and received the recommendation of six weeks of specialized targeted proton radiation in Seattle, followed by seven months of chemotherapy. “She was a prime candidate for this type of radiation,” said Jackson. “We went to the proton center to start treatment immediately.” The Jacksons, who have five children, said it was difficult for their family to be separated, but they had lots of visits from family members. Kennan Gregory, Billie’s aunt, went to Seattle to visit one weekend and came up with the idea for Billie’s welcome home Boo Bash. “We were riding on a Seattle ferris wheel when she saw a bounce house and said she wanted to go on it. I said, ‘Billie, we need to have a party when you get back. What kind of party do you want?’” said Gregory. “She wanted it to be about Halloween and fall and we kept talking about it while I was out there. When I got home I contacted Kim and asked for her help.” Kim Minnick’s family home borders the Jackson’s backyard Continued page 5
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Billie was excited to receive her Bliss Cheer Team uniform even though she is taking a year off to beat cancer. (Photo courtesy of Brooke Jackson)
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