Ten years ago this month Jak Trueman began his cancer journey that would lead to an amazing legacy no one could have predicted.
Jak was a truly inspirational boy who lit up any room he walked into.
He was sadly diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer – delta T-cell lymphoma – and passed away in February 2015 aged just 15.
Even at his most poorly, the teenager was thinking of others and it was his dream to help other young people going through treatment for cancer and give invaluable support to their families.
And so he founded the Team Jak Foundation, with the help of beloved mum Allison Barr and sister Aimie to begin the
process of setting up a centre where young people could spend time away from a hospital environment
and feel like themselves again.
Fast forward 10 years and Jak’s Den has been providing a lifeline service to hundreds of young people throughout Scotland undergoing chemotherapy and other gruelling treatments, along with supporting their families.
Allison said this selfless attitude sums up her boy, who always put others before himself and spoke to the Courier about her cherished memories of him.
She also paid tribute to daughter Aimie, saying she is immensely proud of the woman she has become, following in her footsteps and now a qualified primary teacher also.
Allison said her son had “so much to live for”.
She continued: “He himself had admitted he could be ‘challenging’ as a child, but always had the most loving and caring side to him, but in the last two years of his life he had grown into the most thoughtful, encouraging and inspirational young man, looking out for others daily at school and with his mates and Aimie, myself, our wider family and Hannah [Jak’s girlfriend].
“The first few weeks were horrific, as those of you who followed Jak’s journey at the time will remember, but then as the treatment kicked in we had hope – hope he might just make it.
“But after the first few weeks when Jak came to terms with his diagnosis and treatment, what happened was inspirational.
“People following his story, him encouraging others with his positive attitude, and then his plans for his charity Team Jak and his ultimate goal – Jak’s Den.
“We love and miss you more each and every day. I wish things were different and you were still here.”
Allison turned her thoughts to where Jak would be 10 years from now, had things been different.
The former West Calder High School pupil was a keen footballer, a talented goal keeper and she believes he’d have become a PE teacher and “probably married to his childhood sweetheart”.
“Every day I live with the pain and emptiness without you,” she continued.
“Your legacy through Team Jak has touched literally thousands of lives since you had to go, and the road has not been easy for many reasons.
“But what keeps me going is your request for me to create and lead this charity so that other young people and their families would have a safe place to go away from hospital, and receive the emotional, wellbeing and peer support they need, creating smiles and easing the journey for each and every one of them.
“What a boy and what a life!
“I’d also like to pay tribute to our beautiful Aimie also at this point as her life was turned upside down that day also and she lost the mum she had from that day forward.
“I love both my children with equal measure and I am so, so proud of what each of them have achieved and continue to achieve on a daily basis.
“So as we remember Jak 10 years on, we have chosen to celebrate Jak, as you know he wanted us to ‘be happy’ and not be all gloomy and sad, so in his honour we will celebrate his short but amazing life and continuing legacy of Team Jak Foundation- Jak’s Den.”
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