By Dan Israeli
Not even a year old, the infant suffers from a rare blood disease called Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH), which he was diagnosed with two months after being born on Aug. 9 of last year.
LCH is caused by an excess of white blood cells called histiocytes, that can attack several bodily organs as well as the central nervous system. Jack has LCH in his spleen, liver, skin and bone marrow. In the past eight months, he has undergone a number of chemotherapy regiments, a splenectomy, and on May 22, a bone marrow transplant to replace his diseased cells. He is recovering at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, where he has lived for the past eight months.
Jack's parents, Kristy and Chad, have been at his side throughout the whole ordeal. Kristy has stayed in his hospital room, while Chad drives down every weekend. Frank Spadaro, Kristy's father, emphasized his grandson's struggles. "He basically has been having a tough time everywhere he turns," Spadaro said. "It's always a fight, always one thing after another."
Spadaro, a customs broker at JFK Airport, has partnered with the Semantics, a social and benevolent organization, to raise money for Jack's fight. On June 18, the Semantics will hold its annual Freight Forwarders, Truckers, Container Station and Brokers night (FTCB) at Franklin Caterers, located at 20 New Hyde Park Road in Franklin Square. All funds raised, through ticket and raffle sales, will be donated to Jack's family, to help pay for medical and living expenses as he recovers in Philadelphia.
The Semantics, based out of JFK Airport, has existed for 38 years as an organization with a principle goal of "benevolence to those less fortunate." The group, made up of numerous JFK employees, has raised tens of thousands of dollars annually for people in need. 100 percent of all funds raised goes towards the beneficiaries.
Joseph Auci, president of the Semantics, lives in Franklin Square. He said that the annual FTCB night raises money for a different worthy cause each year. "This year, the event is all about this baby," he said. "All the money will go towards supporting this family." While Jack recovers from his transplant, he will need to remain close to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for clinic visits and in the event any fevers occur, according to Spadaro. Combined with medical fees, hotel expenses or subletting an apartment can become quite expensive for Jack's parents at this crucial time.
Lee Cook, program chairman of the Semantics, said that just looking at a picture of Jack made him want to help. "It's unbelievable. Your heart goes out to these people and you want to do whatever you can to help with the costs," he said. "Insurance only covers so much."
Spadaro said that Jack, who has gone through hundreds of transfusions, was given the nickname "The Rock" for all the adversity he has faced. In addition to his treatments, he was also on a respirator for almost a month. LCH is very rare - striking one out of every 200,000 people - and there is little research into its cause and treatment. It is often referred to as an "orphan disease," meaning it strikes too few people to generate government-supported research, according to histio.org.
While it is not a form of cancer, treatments like chemotherapy have been used in patients with histiocytosis. Consequently, hematologists and oncologists who treat cancer also treat children with Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Amid all the pain he has gone through, the resilient Jack has stayed positive throughout his ordeal, and was even named 106.7 Lite FM's "Most Huggable Baby" back in October.
The FTCB night will include food, music and a number of great raffle prizes, including TVs, cameras and airline tickets. Cost of admission is $25, and raffle tickets will go for $10. For more information on buying tickets or donating raffle prizes, call Joseph Auci at (718) 276-4948 or Lee Cook at (516) 483-0700.
