In my two decades of work in journalism and journalism-related fields, there’s always a handful of individuals you run across whose smiles light up a room. I would argue that there is not a more beautiful smile, or perhaps a more beautiful child, than that of Bridgeport’s own Jack Rollins.

 

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because most everyone in the community and well beyond knows Jack. The 4-year-old, who turns five in February, is the stunningly adorable blue-eyed child battling Neuroblastoma, which in layman’s terms is a cancer that forms in nerve tissue and generally strikes children age five or younger.

 

The battle has been going on for a long time, too long for any person of his age. He’s been poked and prodded, had surgeries, treatments, scans, bloodwork and every medical procedure at multiple medical facilities added to a list that usually is reserved for those in their senior years; let alone for someone not even halfway to their teen years.

 

On this Thanksgiving weekend, however, I don’t want to talk too much about the past. Rather, I want to talk about the present and something we in Bridgeport, Clarksburg, Shinnston, Harrison County and beyond can do to turn on that 1,000-watt smile. Yet, before getting to that point, there is some recent good news that Jack’s mother Brooke shared with me and that many of you may know by following his Facebook page “Jack Rollins Journey,” which you can find by clicking HERE.

 

Right now, Jack and his family are back home in Bridgeport and will be here until Dec. 6. The time here is much-needed therapy as the youngster battles to recovery after spending recent weeks at Sloan Kettering in New York.

 

“We’re so happy to be back here. You learn as you go through all of this just how important it is to have some things that seem normal,” said Brooke. “Being home is as normal a thing as there is and as simple a thing as there is.”

 

While Jack is home and even when he returns to the hospital for follow-up work to keep the disease at bay, there is a way – an easy and relatively cheap way to keep that smile at full force. And it’s something Connect readers have done before. All you have to do is send him a card. It can be a Christmas card, a “Thinking of You” card, a “Get Well Card,” a personal letter, a trinket or anything that one may think a child would like.

 

According to Brooke, trips to get mail aren’t a chore. They are a journey in joy for Jack Rollins.

 

“He just gets excited beyond belief when I go to the mailbox. Every time I go to the mailbox, the first thing he asks me ‘is there anything for me.’ What’s great is there’s almost always packages and stuff for him,” said Brooke. “He just starts smiling and giggling from the time we walk out to the time we walk back in.”

 

Brooke said the mail comes from everywhere. A lot of the mail comes in bulk from kids at school that send him cards.

 

“He really enjoys those cards from school,” she said.

 

The cards from school often come from Bridgeport United Methodist Pre-School, where Jack is a student. And last week, before the Thanksgiving break, Jack was back with his friends in the classroom.

 

“I was able to send him to school last week,” said Brooke. “His immune system is stronger right now so he was happy that he got a chance to go.”

 

The only real issue with his return there involved Jack’s feet bothering him from walking too much. And considering he likes to do the stuff other kids do, going to the park or staying up and walking a lot can be bothersome. Fortunately, Brooke said the fine educators at the pre-school makes sure he’s not overdoing it.

 

Unfortunately, sore feet are a side effect of treatments aimed at keeping Jack on a path to continued positive health. Recent testing came back with NED – or no evidence of disease, which is wonderful news.

 

Now, however, he goes through what Brooke called an antibody type of treatment that she said “mops up the cancer cells that may be in there by using this antibody.” While that’s important, Brooke said it’s very painful.

 

“They said what he experiences in pain is comparable to child birth,” said Brooke.

 

The process involving the antibodies is a five-round process and each round lasts five days. Each treatment is 30 minutes and it’s the last five minutes where the pain becomes “excruciating.”

 

There is some unique relief. Brooke said a man named Robin, who does martial arts, actually comes into the room during his treatments and puts Jack into a relaxed state.

 

“Pretty much the only thing he hears is his voice during that time period where the treatment is going on and that has to help particularly during those last five minutes,” said Brooke. “Then, we have to deal with pain after the treatments and throughout the night. We get up and do it again five days in a row.”

 

This process is hopefully the final step in the ongoing progression when Jack Rollins is officially rid of this God-forsaken disease. And while recent tests show no evidence of disease and the Rollins’ and their family and friends are thankful for that, they take things with cautious optimism.

 

“We’ve gotten good news before and we’ve been let down a lot. We know things can change so we try not to get too far down a road emotionally where we’re on too high of an emotional ride,” mom said. “We’ve been there before and it’s not worked so we want to get there only when we know it’s worked. We’re still not there yet.”

 

In the meantime, the Rollins family had a chance to enjoy Thanksgiving. They’re enjoying their time this weekend and Jack more than likely was informed of another thing that makes him smile – Bridgeport Indians football.

 

“(Before the Robert C. Byrd game) he was all ‘Indianed’ out. He had all his gear on,” said Brooke. “Since he’s been able to walks we’ve always taken him down to the field and he tells us and his doctors he’s going to play football and be an Indian. Every time we drive by the field he gets excited and he was so excited when we told him the team won. It made him smile and we just love to see that smile.”

 

I like to see him smile, too. And I’m betting others do as well and would like the chance to light one up on Jack’s face from ear to ear. So please, take a few seconds and a little bit out of your pocket and send Jack Rollins a little something in the mail. Send it to the address below and trust me, you’ll never get a return on an investment on anything like you will by making this child smile.

 

Team Jack

P.O. Box 395

Bridgeport, WV 26330

 

Editor's Note: Top photo is of Jack Rollins, while he cuddles up with his favorite lady - his mom Brooke - in the second picture. In the bottom photo Jack shows off some gifts from WVU great Owen Schmitt. Photos courtesy of the Rollins family.