By Stephen Appezzato
TINTON FALLS – The summer prior to her junior year at Red Bank Catholic high school, Katie Esposito remembered a promise she made to her younger brother Jack who died two years before – and to herself: Keep Jack’s memory alive.
In 2016, 12-year-old Jack, who had been diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, an aggressive bone marrow and blood cancer that affects white bloodcells, died after a two-year battle due to complications from a treatment, despite being cancer-free at the time.
Katie wanted to create a nonprofit organization that supports New Jersey families facing the monumental expenses and hardships that come with pediatric cancer and other serious pediatric illnesses.
“Families should never have to choose between working or taking time to care for their ill child,” she said.
On Oct. 1, 18 of New Jersey’s most talented high school girls soccer teams will face off to assist Katie with her mission.
Each year, nine soccer teams from the Skylands Conference and nine from the Shore Conference compete in a daylong tournament to raise money for a specific charity. This year, the fourth annual Mountains vs. Seas Tournament will be played in support of The Team Jack Foundation, the nonprofit organization Katie started in 2018 to honor Jack. The tournament takes place at the Capelli Sport Complex in Tinton Falls, and will begin at 9 a.m. Some of the 18 varsity soccer teams include Middletown South, Red Bank Catholic, Holmdel and Shore Regional.
“For the soccer tournament, I think you can expect some good matchups between teams and definitely a day filled with tons of great soccer to watch. Each team wants to win to represent their conference, which makes for some pretty intense and action-packed games,” said Devyn Drusjack, a senior on Red Bank Catholic’s (RBC) roster.
For Drusjack, the co-president of Caseys For A Cure, RBC’s cancer awareness club, the upcoming tournament presents an opportunity to aid an organization that means a lot to her. Drusjack helped secure The Team Jack Foundation as this year’s tournament charity.
“With approximately 450 players participating this year, we have the potential to raise a lot of money and awareness for The Team Jack Foundation,” said Kristen Goodrich, Devyn’s mother.
Jack was diagnosed in August 2014, at just 10 years old. According to his family, he bravely fought the disease, remaining optimistic throughout his treatments. After a year and a half of treatment, though, he relapsed, requiring admittance to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) in January 2016. That May he received a bone marrow transplant and began recovery. Unfortunately, Jack became septic, which required a return to CHOP.
“After six weeks of ups and downs in the PICU (pediatric intensive care unit), the prognosis worsened,” explained Katie. “He developed graft-versus-host disease, a double pneumothorax, and a litany of complications from the transplant. His chance of survival decreased each day that passed,” she said. “At age 12, Jack died cancer-free on Aug. 2, 2016 – the morning of my 14th birthday.”
“Jack fought leukemia twice and always with a brave determination and optimism that awed everyone around him,” Katie said. She described her younger brother as someone who loved sports and played golf, baseball, basketball, tennis and was a swimmer with the Red Bank YMCA Aquarockets. He played piano and was an avid “Star Wars,” “Jaws” and Indiana Jones fan.
“He especially loved trains, weather, sharks and a good story and a good laugh,” Katie said. “He had an amazing smile and charmed all he met with his generous spirit. Almost everyone who knew Jack says his smile could light up an entire room and his laugh was incredibly contagious. Jack was the kind of kid who picked someone up when they were down. After he died, so many of his classmates and other families shared amazing stories with us. They all had the same theme – Jack was always helping someone,” she said.
“Jack loved life and appreciated every day. He will always be a reminder that life is about being kind, having hope, and sharing love. After his two year ‘angel-versary,’ I spoke to my mom about giving back to our community, the way Jack would have done, and in his honor.”
She decided to create The Team Jack Foundation to help support children like Jack and families like their own family, she explained. “The foundation’s goal is to help bring relief and smiles to ill children, whenever possible. The years we spent growing up together, especially when Jack was sick, had given me ample reason to reflect on what an important part he played in my life. And I wanted a way to keep his legacy alive,” she said.
Spurred by Jack’s illness, Katie enrolled at Auburn University’s College of Nursing, where she is currently a junior. Following her graduation, she plans to work in pediatric health care.
The Team Jack Foundation provides financial assistance to New Jersey families in a variety of ways. The foundation has given financial assistance with bills, rent and living costs, travel costs, gas and food. In one instance, the foundation purchased new shoes for a working mother and her children. In another example, the foundation surprised a family by prepaying their car insurance for an entire year after the family only requested one month of aid.
The Team Jack Foundation also routinely organizes annual events, including a holiday toy drive, donating gifts to hospitals and other organizations. To commemorate Jack’s birthday on Dec. 30, each year the foundation provides dinner for the families at the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House. “When a child is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, the entire family is affected. We want to help parents, siblings, and our warriors through difficult times and spread smiles however possible,” said Katie.
Throughout the Mountains vs. Seas Tournament’s existence, the competition has raised over $100,000 for charities. The proceeds from the upcoming Oct. 1 tournament will be donated to The Team Jack Foundation.
To support the competition, individual donations can be made at theteamjackfoundation.kindful.com/mountains-vs-seas-2022. Sponsorships are also available for the event. Some of the participating organizations include Soccer Post Eatontown and Gotham FC, a professional women’s soccer team based in Harrison. Checks can be made payable to The Team Jack Foundation, P.O. Box 582, Lincroft, New Jersey 07738-1401.
“We are deeply honored that The Team Jack Foundation was chosen as the charity of choice for the 2022 tournament,” said Katie. “We are incredibly grateful and owe a huge thank you to Red Bank Catholic and the RBC girls soccer team.”
The article originally appeared in the September 22 – 28, 2022 print edition of The Two River Times.
