The “Jacob” in Jake’s Mission

Jacob Aaron Steel was a 20 year old college student working on his bachelor’s degree in Digital Arts & Design at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.

Known for its reputation as one of the premier media art schools in the world, Jacob attended full time, year round, while undergoing medical treatments.  He had a goal, a mission!  He was going to create something “BIG” on the Internet and in the process, change the world for the better.

Challenges

During his time at Full Sail, he never let on to his professors, nor to his classmates, the challenges he was facing physically.  Jacob never wanted sympathy.  He never wanted to be treated any differently than anyone else.

But his condition took a turn for the worse and he quietly took a medical leave of absence in February of 2007 to prepare for the one thing that could change his life, a bone marrow transplant.  A perfect match had been found!

Jake returned home to begin a weekly regimen of chelation.  He would enter the Southwest Florida Children’s Hospital for a four day stay each week and be hooked to an IV that would help to rid his body of excess iron, a byproduct of lifelong blood transfusions.

He was restarted on high doses of steroids that would help to stimulate his bone marrow in producing much needed red blood cells.  It was a challenging time for him.  A task he willingly did, without complaint, for four long months.

Friendship

In July, his best friend since 4th grade, Jonathan P, was to graduate from Full Sail University.  Jacob asked his doctor to please time his hospital stay so that he could leave the hospital and drive 3 1/2 hours to the Full Sail’s campus.

He wanted to be there for his best friend’s graduation.  He was weak and not feeling well, but he wouldn’t miss being there for Jonathan.  It was the last time they would see each other.

After Jonathan’s graduation and celebration, Jacob then drove the 10 hour trip to join us at the summer cabin in the mountains for the 4th of July.

We had a great time as a family doing simple things; boating, grilling, playing cards, sitting on the porch talking, even a game of golf.  None of us wanted to think of what lay ahead later that month.

The Journey

Then the time came.  We embarked on a journey that would forever change our lives.

We took the five hour drive to Durham, N.C., where Jacob would begin a thorough work-up in preparation for his bone marrow transplant.  He seemed to be given every test known to man, at least that was how it seemed.

He amazed me.  I never once, in twenty years, EVER heard him complain about his lot in life.  He had the ability to be the one who put smiles on the faces of others, particularly his nurses.

Character

Jake handled everything in stride.  Always.  One day we got caught in traffic and I, not being a patient soul, became very agitated.  I don’t know, I’m sure a lot of it had to do with the mountain my son was about to climb, but he looked at me calmly and said, “Mom, does it really matter?”

I looked at him, he was so calm sitting there in the seat next to me and I said, “No, it really doesn’t.”   What I wouldn’t give now to have those few extra minutes back to engage in a conversation with him instead of complaining and getting upset about something as insignificant as the traffic.

Learn More

This is a glimpse of who our son was.  For the rest of the story about Jacob’s valiant fight for life, click on eBook or visit Jacob’s Caring Bridge site. You can also watch these special videos about Jacob’s life.