Friday, May. 09, 2008

Jam Session

Cancer survivor reaching out to young patients

By Brett Dalton

The Journal Staff

Seven years ago, when she was just eight years old, Jessica Ladd began suffering from severe headaches, which were later followed by bouts of vomiting. After several tests and visits to the doctor, the young girl’s diagnosis rattled her and her family to the core. “In March 2001, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor,” Jessica Ladd, now 15, said. “I was terrified.” Lisa Ladd, Jessica’s mother, said doctors gave the youngest of her three daughters a 70 percent chance of survival — not the most reassuring news, Lisa said. But through multiple radiation and chemotherapy treatments, which Jessica still receives every two years, the Raymore-Peculiar High School sophomore has triumphed in her battle with cancer. However, as she enjoys her revived health, she knows there are other children, like herself, still battling against the deadly disease. And for the second year in a row, Jessica Ladd is reaching out to help those vulnerable children. On May 17 — next Saturday — Jessica and her family will conduct Jessi’s Jam 2008, a concert fundraiser at Beauchamp’s on the Rail, 301 S.E. Douglas in downtown Lee’s Summit. The event, which will include live music from four local bands, is aimed at raising funds for the four major organizations — M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Children’s Mercy Hospital, Camp Quality and the Make-A-Wish Foundation — that helped Jessica through her trials. Jessi’s Jam will begin at 2 p.m. and probably continue until 10 p.m., Lisa Ladd said. At 6 p.m. an auction will take place, with the top item being a guitar autographed by internationally acclaimed artist Sheryl Crow. Lisa Ladd said “a friend of a friend of a friend who knows Sheryl Crow” helped obtain the guitar for the event. Admission into Jessi’s Jam is $15 per person, $25 for couples and just $5 for students. Additional donations also are welcome, Lisa Ladd said. Last year’s event raised $2,200. Jessica Ladd said she wanted to conduct fundraisers for the various orgnizations as a way of showing support for the young cancer patients, and also as a way of saying “thank you” for helping her win her fight. “I wanted to give back to them for what they’d done for me,” Jessica said. “I used to be one of those kids. I know how they feel and to have somebody who knows how they’re feeling and to have someone raising money for them seems like it would be important to them.” Lisa Ladd said she is forever grateful for the treatment and care Jessica received at Children’s Mercy, as well as the other organizations. “They are absolutely wonderful,” Lisa said. “The nurses (at Children’s Mercy) were right there if you needed anything. The nurses took perfect care of her. And our doctor was just awesome throughout.” Lisa said the type of tumor that was removed from Jessica’s brain could recur somewhere else in her body. However, there have been no signs of the cancer coming out of remission. Jessica said that possibility does worry her at times, but she tries to put her focus forward, and not to the past. “Sometimes I can think back and think, ‘Oh, I never got to do that’ or ‘I wish that it could have been different,’” she said. “But there really is no point of looking back now because I have such a positive future ahead of me.” For more information, visit www.jessis-jam.com.