A fighter on and off the court docket, a New Jersey highschool basketball star is battling extra than simply his opponents — and continues to defy the percentages.
“This chemotherapy, it’s really vicious, I have nerve pain all over my body right now,” Jackson advised NBC New York. “It’s just so brutal, it’ll knock me out for a few days.”
The 18-year-old star for the Ridgewood Maroons has endured double digit chemotherapy therapies for stage 4B Hodgkin’s Lymphoma since summer time 2024.
“Been a lot of health struggles, there’s been a lot of ups and down, but just making it this far to this point, it just feels great to be here right now,” Jackson mentioned.
“This is the one thing that means the world to him, is playing basketball. Cancer took a lot from him but it’s not going to take this,” mentioned his mom, Lynsey Jackson.
His sister shared an analogous sentiment, saying her brother “truly has a different mindset compared to everyone else.”
As a junior final season, Jackson performed the complete 12 months at 50%. He nonetheless averaged 22 factors per sport. However his weight dropped from 170 kilos all the way down to 152.
His dad, Joe, and mother have been trying to find solutions. In July, they lastly obtained one: Their son was recognized with most cancers. He began therapy in August.
“I’m a competitor…so I kind of just faced it like a game, and I was kind of up for the challenge from day 1. I knew i was going to take it down,” mentioned Jackson.
Ten chemo session ensued from Aug. 12 to Dec. 19, the night time of Ridgewood’s season opener. Jackson vowed to play — it was his purpose, it was his dream.
And he delivered. Jackson scored 30 factors in a victory over St. Joe’s of Montvale.
When requested how he went from a chemo session on Monday, to dropping 30 simply three days later, Jackson mentioned he did not have a solution.
“I just went out there and did it,” he mentioned.
The story has been embraced by the complete Ridgewood neighborhood. His coach and teammates have been in awe of his power and the Aristocracy. His coach, Mike Troy, known as it “an individual story that people wouldn’t believe if it was in a movie.”
This season, Jackson has been a profile in coronary heart, braveness and inspiration has been averaging 25 factors per sport. He hopes to quickly be cancer-free.
“I’m just going to try to inspire as many kids as possible and honestly just put it in the past as quick as I can because it’s been a very troublesome journey,” he mentioned.
On Monday, Jackson had his twelfth and remaining chemotherapy therapy on the Joseph Sanzari Youngsters’s Hospital at Hackensack College Medical Heart. A celebration ensued moments later, as his total basketball workforce and household shocked him within the hallway of the hospital — with hugs and kisses, smiles and tears, and loads of gratitude.
Jackson should nonetheless get a PET scan in mid-February earlier than he could be declared formally cancer-free. Till then, he’ll proceed his pursuit of two,000 profession factors. As of Monday, he was 285 factors away.
The workforce continues to be chasing a state championship. The Maroons gained 9 of their first 10 video games, and have been top-of-the-line groups in New Jersey.
