Jack Witherspoon
John “Jack” Hansen Witherspoon was just two years old when he was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) or “childhood leukemia.”

Jack immediately began a three year course of treatment including chemotherapy and Decadron. Jack finished treatment when he was five. In first grade, almost one year after treatment ended, Jack relapsed. He began another course of treatment many times stronger than the first, a protocol that lasted two years and four months.

Jack had to be taken out of school. During one of his 11 hospital stays, Jack was channel surfing and came upon the Food Network. He watched show after show. He knew he wanted to be a chef just like the ones he saw on the Food Network.

Because of Jack’s love of cooking and deep desire to be a chef, his family organized a fundraiser called “Cooking up Dreams.” Jack was the guest “chef,” and wrote the menu using all of his favorite foods. Net proceeds were donated to the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center at Miller Children’s Hospital in Long Beach, where he received all of his treatment. Since then, Jack has raised more than $60,000 for leukemia research and has partnered with Beckstrand Cancer Foundation to further raise awareness for the unique needs of kids with cancer and to help improve their quality of life through patient advocacy and direct assistance.

Jack is in third grade now and has caught up academically despite missing almost all of first grade and half of second grade. He plays Little League Baseball and is a blue belt in Taekwondo. Jack is also a good swimmer and loves to surf with his Dad. He is completing his first cookbook with his Mom, entitled “Twist it up.”

Jack ended his leukemia treatment in January, 2009. He is now in complete remission.

You can help support Beckstrand Cancer Foundation every time you search or shop online by downloading the GoodSearch - Beckstrand Cancer Foundation toolbar here.