Support Jacob's Fight Against Leukemia

Many of you know Jacob as a teenager who loves games, reading, his close friends and family, and a big snuggle with his favorite cat, Lila. This August his life changed.

After feeling fatigue and nausea intermittently for a few weeks in late July/early August, he seemed to be fine and enjoyed a trip with his dad to Prague.

However, right before school began, he felt ill again. After his first day of 8th grade, tests showed his white blood cell count was high, which can indicate a blood cancer. Cassidy and Sarah immediately took him to South Africa for further tests, and he was diagnosed with leukemia.

After a harrowing medical evacuation to the United States, he is now at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, on the pediatric oncology floor and receiving treatment for leukemia. Cassidy and Sarah’s girls remain in Lusaka, Zambia, with family who have flown there to be with them.

This GoFundMe page is being set up and administered by Abbi Weaver and Matthew Eshleman, longtime friends of the Claassens. The Claassens will have major expenses associated with lengthy cancer treatment, reuniting their family, and living far from their house and home in Zambia.

An Amazon Wishlist is also available for items for Jacob and for the Claassen family as they settle into temporary housing at the Ronald McDonald House in Baltimore. In addition, meals, visits and other support are being coordinated locally. Please contact us as the organizers if you have questions on how to best support Jacob and the entire family.

Updates on Jacob’s treatment journey are available through CaringBridge.