Seminole Science student honored for toy drive after cancer battle
A Seminole Science student turned a Hodgkin lymphoma battle into a toy drive that delivered more than 100 gifts to pediatric oncology patients.
Jackson Backo turned a personal fight with cancer into a gesture that reached other children facing the same kind of long hospital days, and now that effort has earned him national recognition in Seminole County.
Backo, a student at Seminole Science Charter School in Lake Mary, received The Lovis Foundation’s 2026 Extraordinary Student Award. The school presented the honor on May 22, 2026, putting a Seminole County student at the center of a story that connects illness, resilience and the practical ways schools can shape how children respond to hardship.
Backo was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma at age 12, later entered remission and then organized a toy drive for pediatric oncology patients at his local hospital. His first drive collected more than 100 gifts. He is already planning another one, extending an effort that began with his own experience in treatment and has since grown into a source of comfort for other families.
The Lovis Foundation said its 2026 student awards honored 70 students from 25 states, recognizing kindness, resilience, compassion, leadership, service and determination. The Extraordinary Student Award is aimed at students in grades 5 through 8, and the foundation says there is no academic requirement. Awards can include a trophy, school-based recognition, Lovis merchandise and other acknowledgments.
For Seminole Science, the recognition also reflects the kind of student the school says it serves. The K-8 STEM-focused public charter school is approved by the Seminole County School Board and operates within Seminole County Public Schools, with a Sanford mailing address in the district system. Backo’s award gives the school a visible example of leadership grounded not in test scores or athletics, but in how one student responded to a serious medical crisis.
The impact of that kind of effort goes beyond a box of toys. Pediatric oncology patients often spend extended periods in hospitals and clinics, where small comforts can help ease stress for children and parents alike. Backo’s toy drive shows how one student’s recovery can ripple outward, giving classmates and teachers a concrete model of empathy and turning a difficult diagnosis into sustained community support.
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