Seminole County boy with cancer gets birthday joy from Casey Cares Foundation

Jackson’s birthday brought a rare stretch of normalcy to a Lake Mary home shaped by hospital visits, treatment schedules and the uncertainty that comes with pediatric cancer. For the 12-year-old and his family, the Casey Cares Foundation stepped in with the kind of support the medical system cannot provide: celebration, distraction and a few bright memories in the middle of a hard year.

The family found Casey Cares in May 2025 after seeing a flyer while Jackson was in the hospital. Since then, the foundation has helped create experiences tailored to his interests, including Disney on Ice, an Orlando Magic game and a pizza-and-movie night at home. Jackson’s favorite outing was the Magic game, where he got pregame access, floor-level seats and a personalized jersey.

That kind of attention matters in a place like Seminole County, where thousands of families are raising children while juggling work, school, medical appointments and rising costs. Jackson’s toy drive for AdventHealth Children’s Hospital added another layer to the story: he collected more than 100 toys for other children receiving care, turning support back toward the hospital where so many families spend their hardest days.

Casey Cares was founded in 2000 by philanthropist Casey Baynes and now says it serves more than 1,600 families a year across eight states and Washington, D.C. Its Birthday Blasts program sends surprise birthday gifts such as balloons, cookies, gift cards or flowers, a small gesture designed to make a critically ill child feel seen on a day that might otherwise be lost to treatment. The group also says families in its Family Festivities program participate three times each year.

The foundation’s work fills gaps that pediatric cancer care alone cannot cover. AdventHealth for Children provides pediatric cancer care and more than 35 pediatric sub-specialties, but the emotional weight on parents often extends far beyond the exam room. Families in Lake Mary, Sanford and across Seminole County have to manage not only care decisions, but also the daily strain of keeping childhood intact through fatigue, fear and financial pressure.

Jackson’s birthday was a celebration, but it was also a small example of how community-based support can soften the hardest parts of childhood illness. In a county with an estimated population of 494,605 and about 20.1% of residents under 18, that kind of help reaches far beyond one family.