By Taylor M. Coffman
Herald Correspondent
For 12-year-old Jackson from Lake Mary, life has a revolving door of treatments, stress, and uncertainty since he was diagnosed with cancer - but the Casey Cares Foundation is hoping to change that, one happy memory at a time.
Founded in 2000 by philanthropist Casey Baynes, Casey Cares is a national non-profit foundation that plans activities and surprises to boost morale for critically ill kids and their families. With outings ranging from courtside basketball tickets and birthday parties to movie nights with pizza and new pajamas, the foundation helps families form happy, lifelong memories even in the middle of all the uncertainty that comes with their child’s diagnosis.
According to Taylor Shortridge, the foundation’s Communications Coordinator, Casey Cares prides itself on helping all critically ill children, not just those with cancer diagnoses, and having never turned down a child’s request in its nearly thirty-year history. Over the last three decades, Casey Cares has provided ongoing support for over 1,600 children and their families and provided birthday presents for over 15,000 children.
For Jackson and his family, their journey with Casey Cares began in May 2025 after they spotted the foundation’s flyer while Jackson was in the hospital. After filling out an application on the Casey Cares website, the family was accepted into the program with a warm welcome.
According to Jackson’s mother Jennae, the foundation has worked to provide their family with outings tailored to Jackson’s location and interests - so far, the family has attended Disney on Ice, an Orlando Magic basketball game, and enjoyed a pizza & movie night at home. Jackson’s favorite outing was reportedly the Orlando Magic game, where the family was invited to watch the pre-game warmups, provided with floor-level seats, and Jackson was even gifted with a personalized Magic jersey with his name on it.
When asked about the impact Casey Cares has had on her family, Jennae recalls that during the application process her family was undergoing “a very emotional time” while they came to terms with Jackson’s recent diagnosis and that “it felt nice to know that something positive would be coming from working with Casey Cares.”
“Casey Cares truly lives up to its name,” she said. “The organization goes above and beyond to help families spend meaningful time together and create lasting memories.”
Inspired by Casey Cares efforts, Jackson even organized his own toy drive, collecting over 100 toys for AdventHealth Children’s Hospital and personally delivering them in March.
With Jackson’s birthday coming up in April, Casey Cares’ support means more than ever as they work to provide kids like him with spots of joy among the hardship of critical illness, even with something as seemingly simple as a birthday present. Anyone interested in helping with the foundation’s mission is encouraged to volunteer, as the foundation thrives off community support and funding.
The foundation’s next big event is Casey Cares’ Biggest PJ Party, where schools, businesses, and families are encouraged to wear their favorite pajamas and host pajama drives throughout April to collect new pajamas, which are then distributed to kids like Jackson at children’s hospitals across the country. Other events include “Kami’s Jammies” pajama deliveries, “Birthday Blast” celebrations, and “Better Together” family outings.
More information on Casey Cares’ events and how to volunteer with the foundation can be found at https://caseycares.org/, or by contacting [email protected] or (443) 568-0064.
