Giving, considerate, and caring are all words Deanna Collins uses to describe her 8-year-old son Jacob.
"Jacob is so full of life and happiness," said Collins.
Most parents can relate to that sort of pride in their children. Few parents can empathize with what this mom is going through right now.
"You never expect someone to tell you when they believe your child is going to die," she said fighting back tears.
Last month, Jacob Collins was diagnosed with cancer. He has a malignant tumor located on his brain stem. Doctors told Deanna there is no chance of removing the tumor. And while Jacob is undergoing chemotherapy and radiation treatment, his mom says it will take a miracle.
"They pretty much sent us home to go enjoy the rest of our time with our son."
Collins is a single mom with two kids. She had to quit her job to take care of her son. Further, while Jacob's medical costs are mostly covered, insurance does not cover clinical trials in other states, which may be a last hope. Deanna also says she wants to make Jacob's time as memorable as possible.
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"There's so much I want to show him. There's so much I want to do with him. I've never taken him to Yosemite," she says.
They also want to take Jacob to Disney World.
When asked if there's anything he wants to do, Jacob answers camping. When asked if there's anyone he would want to meet, he says Philip Rivers.
So, Jacob's baby sitter Claire Scott started a Facebook page and a donation page.
"I started just with people that I know." says Scott. It's turned into much more. The facebook page now has more than 1500 members.
"People that I don't know, people that Deanna doesn't know are donating. People from Florida, New York, Texas."
They've raised more than $2500. It won't cover all the expenses for clinical trials, or a vacation, but the family is extremely grateful.
"People love Jacob," says his mom. It's clear this mother's pride is shared.
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