Above left: Left to
right: Jill Albert, who
passed away in 2006
from breast cancer, is
the inspiration for the
Jack & Jill Late Stage
Cancer Foundation;
daughter Jamie, son
Jake and Jon, on their
own WOW! Experience
just a few months
before Jill died.
Above right: Jessica
Adams has helped
distribute more than a
million free diapers to
families in need.
No one knows that better than Jon Albert, a
Costco member in Atlanta.
“My wife, Jill, who had metastatic breast
cancer, didn’t want Jake, age ;, or Jamie, age ;,
to forget her—or, worse, only to remember the
times she was undergoing debilitating treatment,”
says Albert. “We created a treasured memory by
taking a wonderful, important vacation to
Hilton Head, South Carolina. The memories
we created while Jill was still able to enjoy the
trip were priceless.”
After Jill died in ;;;;, Albert wanted to
help other cancer families create positive
memories. He founded the Jack & Jill Late
Stage Cancer Foundation (JAJF; JAJF.org),
the only nonprofit in the nation that offers
all-expenses-paid prescribed trips for families
referred by major oncology centers.
Since its inception, JAJF has provided
WOW! Experiences® for nearly ;,;;; young
families. For his commitment, Albert has
received numerous honors. But he says his
greatest rewards are the uplifting pictures
and great joy he receives from JAJF families.
“Cancer specialists understand that the
disease impacts the entire family,” Albert says.
JAJF is supported by donors, family foundations, grants and corporations. Albert says,
“I’m happy to say we’ve never had to turn a
family away.”—Mickey Goodman
Bottoms-up business
Think of Jessica Adams’ work as the “bottom line.”
Since founding the St. Louis Area Diaper Bank
in ;;;;, the Costco member has overseen the
distribution of more than ; million free diapers to
families in need in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
According to the National Diaper Bank
Network, ; in ; families experience
“diaper need”—difficulty providing enough
diapers to consistently keep a child clean, dry
and healthy. Adams was once in that very
position, after going through a divorce, attending
graduate school and raising four young
children on no income.
“We struggled to make ends meet, and the
one thing I could never find assistance with was
diapers,” she says. “When you can’t provide your
child with one of the most basic needs, you feel
hopeless and helpless.”
Diaper drives and cash donations fund the
diapers that the bank distributes through ;;
community partners, ranging from food pantries
to health clinics to educational organizations.
Each pack of diapers comes with a handwritten
“love note” of encouragement that means the
world to recipients.
“One mother has saved every single note,”
Adams says. “She told us, ‘ They make me feel like
I am not doing this alone and that someone cares
about me and my kids.’ ”—Kristin Baird Rattini
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