Thank you for taking an interest in this foundation’s work and very important mission. Below is some history about Jessica, the people who loved her most, their journey and how this foundation came to be.
The Jessica Rose Foundation, Inc. was established in September, 2009, by her mother, Maureen Massari. Jessica is the youngest of Maureen’s four children. Jessica’s teenage brothers are Robert, Michael and Nicholas Gallo. Jessica “is” very close to her grandparents, Rose and Salvatore Massari and long-time family friend, Bernadette Simeon. Jessie liked to call her “Bernie” who was like a second mother to her. As Jessie’s Grandma Rose said in her eulogy, “Jessica loved many things and many people”.
Jessica’s strength, determination, courage, wisdom, compassion and zest for life inspired many for over two years. The mission for this foundation is dedicated to assisting families who have a child in active cancer treatment. These families will reside primarily in and around the greater Tampa Bay, FL, area where Jessica’s family lives. However, there are board members who reside in NY and in CO and therefore, the foundation will also have a presence in those areas as soon as fundraising activities can be coordinated to help families in those states. It is a goal of the foundation to establish chapters in the states of CO and NY.
Our main program is to provide some financial relief to families we sponsor to help alleviate some of the burden of daily living expenses such as food, gas, travel expenses relating to the child’s care and uncovered medical expenses relating to the child’s care. We will do this through the use of gift cards and reimbursement of other verified expenses. We will hold fundraisers for monetary donations and donations of products and services – both tangible and intangible. There is a referral form that can be downloaded on the home page for families requesting assistance. The foundation will verify the information provided as part of the approval process and the families will be contacted. After a short interview process and once approved, we will work closely with the family to help determine which source of relief will make the most immediate impact.
Shortly after a child is diagnosed with cancer, almost always, one parent will end up quitting their job in order to care for their child 24/7. Around-the-clock care is needed much of the time, whether at home, at the out-patient facility or inpatient at their local hospital. Very often, a child is under the care of a medical team in another state in conjunction with their local hospital. For example, Jessica’s mom flew between FL and NY every few months throughout their two-year journey and all the while trying to maintain her full-time employment with the company she was at for 8 years. She is a single mom and was the only source of income and benefits for her family. Thankfully, she had some help from other family members and close friends of the family but not everyone has this available to them. In addition, their family was blessed by the emotional and financial support their community gave them. Maureen’s friends and family rallied around her in FL and on Long Island. They held fundraisers to help pay for medical expenses not covered by insurance and to help with the tremendous travel expenses incurred as well as other expenses related to Jessica’s care.
Jessica’s story was followed by many across the country. Prayers, poems and messages of hope and encouragement for Jessica and Maureen were left every day on Jessica’s web site guestbook. The web site was initially created to keep others updated about Jessica’s condition and to create more awareness about her plight. That web site was www.care4jessicarose.org. It was shut down shortly after Jessica passed away. Maureen’s journaling enabled thousands of people to become inspired by the strength and courage of a little girl determined to persevere no matter what the odds, no matter what she had to endure.
Her journaling helped create more awareness for neuroblastoma and provided links to many other organizations that help families and children with cancer. Maureen takes tremendous joy in teaching others and so she strived to do just that in most journal entries. Since her journaling was from a parent’s perspective, it was a “learn-as-you-go” process and not without many disappointments and frustrations. Sometimes information may not have always been 100% accurate or things others would want to read about. Nonetheless, she boldly spoke her mind and her heart. At times, her journal entries were very emotional, especially if Jessica was having a rough time with a treatment or a treatment reaction (common when battling cancer). Maureen, like any parent, would take it hard. No one wants to see their child go through cancer treatments over and over. You pray every day that the next treatment will rid them of the disease completely and the next set of tests will have a “No Evidence of Disease” result!
It was a long journey that began in December, 2006, with significant disease followed by a few months of chemotherapy which significantly reduced the disease; but then the progress slowed. There were some stubborn areas of disease present still. Other treatments were used (immunotherapy) and more progress was made but then Jessica had a reaction to one of them. In the fall of 2007, a new protocol was introduced and she tolerated it well with consistent stability for many months and some progress in the right direction as well. Jessica’s doctors often told Maureen how hopeful they were of a complete recovery and they were very pleased with Jessica’s tolerance and resilience. Her consistently stable test results and the most promising treatment to be released in 2010 gave the family much hope! No one would suspect Jessica of having cancer had it not been for her cute bald little head. She ate well, played well and lived well! She still had a number of treatment options yet to be considered to attack the little bit of residual disease that seemed to be just barely hanging around. She had a wonderful quality of life and her happiness showed in most everything she did. Although, the road was long, the light was getting brighter.
Maureen believed that engaging others and keeping them engaged was critical to making a difference. She thought Jessica could easily have been someone else’s child and until there is a cure, the next child diagnosed could very well be that of someone who was following their journey. Maureen spent a lot of time promoting other children’s charities in hopes of creating awareness for them and compelling others to donate to their cause.
The Jessica Rose Foundation, Inc. has five Board members who are very committed to its success because of their love for Jessica, their desire to help other children and families… but most importantly, their determination to make a difference. Florida residents: Maureen Massari, Karen Skonicki, Melissa JohnsonBurnham, Jennifer Windham Angelo in NY and Gretchen Hess in CO. There are others who have been very generous with their time, talent and efforts and we will be posting a separate section on our site to recognize their dedication and contributions to the foundation. We will also be forming committees for fundraising campaigns, events coordination and marketing & promotion. Please contact us if you would like to play a role on any level.
Maureen shared Jessica’s story with the world in hopes of making a difference in others’ lives. It very much made a difference in theirs! She is determined to continue sharing Jessica’s “life” and her legacy. We are ALL committed to making a difference no matter how small when it’s needed most!
When a child is diagnosed with cancer, the whole family is diagnosed!
Thank you for your support!
Sincerely,
The Board Members of
The Jessica Rose Foundation, Inc.
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