LifeList is a wish-granting program that offers hope and support to young adults who are currently receiving treatment for a life-threatening cancer diagnosis. This program provides positive experiences to focus on during treatment and an opportunity to connect with a community of young adult patients, survivors, and advocates who have experienced similar journeys.
If you are a young adult, ages 18-39, currently in treatment for cancer, you may qualify for the LifeList program.
LifeList applications for Q1 of 2025 are now closed. Our next application cycle will open on March 21st at 10 am MST. To receive information about the LifeList program and updates about the next application cycle, please complete the interest form.
The LifeList program serves cancer patients who are between the ages of 18-39 who are currently receiving medical treatment to address an active cancer diagnosis.
The LifeList program is open to new applications on a quarterly basis. Any applications received during the time frame listed at the top of this page will be included in a random selection. On the close of application day, all applicants will receive an email letting them know if they have been selected to move forward in the process or not. All application cycles will open and close at 10 am MT.
Our LifeList participant wishes vary from travel to technology to experiences to home goods and much more. The maximum amount of spend for each LifeList is $1,500 with an average value of $2000. We have some incredible corporate partners who periodically donate to help us with wishes and may contribute to the overall value of a LifeList wish. Due to the unique nature of this program, the individuality of wishes and the unpredictable variance of donations, the total value may be greater and/or the total spend may be less for each participant.
LifeList program participants are an active part of the program for a total of 6 months from the date of acceptance. All LifeList wishes must be completed or ordered within those 6 months. Please be aware of your health status and the reality of being able to fulfill your requests within that time frame.
Dear Jack Foundation is unable to accept wish requests for VISA/AMEX/Amazon gift cards, cash, or financial assistance (rent, mortgage, home repairs, car payments, student loan payments, medical expense reimbursement, fertility treatments, credit card payments, etc).
While Dear Jack strives to make wishes come true, we reserve the right to deny a wish or request modifications. If Dear Jack has concerns about your wishes, we will communicate appropriately with you and work together to create the best experience for you.
"All my life I wanted to become a doctor to help my future patients and I will not let breast cancer take that dream away from me. "
"Emotionally it takes a toll on me when I can see my son misses the healthy version of myself"
"I did not think I would be planning for the end of my life at 35. I have so much left that I wanted to do."
"I often think about my children growing old without me and it breaks my heart to think about them not having a mother. "
"I grieve for the life I imagined, for the uncertainty of my future, and for the way some relationships have shifted. Sometimes, people just fade away because they’re afraid of saying the wrong thing. "
"It's been tough dealing with so much loss in such a short amount of time when it felt like I had my life on track."
"I am trying my best to do all of this with my head held high and a smile on my face, but it has been very hard to do that."
"It's been particularly difficult for me to miss hiking and exploring our state parks in our camper due to my chemo side effects and low energy. "
"I see my friends continuing school or starting a family while I'm just trying to survive. I see people's lives go forward while mine feel like I'm stuck doing nothing."
"I was just starting to get settled in during my first semester of college when I had to leave my classes, friends, and job behind to move back home to begin my treatment. It was very difficult at times to only get to talk to my friends over the..."
"I hope I can return to a duty status and continue to serve in the military as I take great pride in serving my country and community."
"The isolation, not only from people, but from activities has been difficult. I can’t go to concerts, cant go out to dinner and have a drink on a Friday with my wife, can’t skateboard with my friends, basically can’t do anything outside of the..."
"Colorectal cancer treatment usually doesn't result in people losing their hair, so I rarely look sick. People's expectations of what you can do vs the actual is hard."
"I wish I could protect my son from all of this, but I know this is now our reality. Although it is now our reality, we are still trying our best to give him a beautiful childhood."
"The years that are supposed to be the best of your life are robbed from you, or tainted at the very least."
"I was diagnosed a month before my daughter's 2nd birthday and that was the one thing I thought about when they told me I had cancer."
"Knowing I’ve been diagnosed with an incurable form of cancer has put many of the plans I had on hold, some even permanently. It has been this process of reframing and accepting or working within my limitations that has been the most difficult. "
"I’ve spent the last year in ‘fight or flight’ mode, barely processing my own feelings, and finding this community means I'm not alone anymore. "
"For me, the most difficult part is not the dying but the not living long enough for my children."
"You're finally at an age where you have so much freedom and can experience so many new things. It's extremely hard for all of that to just be stripped from you out of nowhere. "
"I have been blessed with supportive and helpful people in my life and friends who care but being a young adult I have no experience in life and due to having cancer it feels like my life is on hold till I’m better."
"I've had to focus on end-of-life planning and have planned my entire funeral. I've had to focus on the business of dying instead of the business of everyday living."
"I was diagnosed with cancer about 10 months after getting married and it has just broken my heart for my husband that our whole marriage has been about this experience and him taking care of me and full of much more sadness and grief than any first..."
"The isolation and loneliness of the situation is so difficult. Everyone can try to understand, but unfortunately it’s something you have to go through to understand."
"Cancer has impacted my body, mind, employment, fertility, location, funds….while I don’t always outwardly look sick, I am, and seeing people’s reactions and resistance to me can be frustrating and upsetting."
"All I can do is push forward and live each day with extreme gratitude that I am still here "
"Being a stay at home mom, homeschooling my kids, and managing to live with cancer has been the most difficult task of my life."
""
"One of the hardest things for me is being a single mom with only one income and then having to go on disability. My income went down and that put more stress on me to try to make ends meet."
"Cancer ended my career that I really loved and I worry about the impact it has on my kids."
"It's been hard trying to cope with the diagnosis and live a "new norm" type of life. I have had to put my boots on and do it myself even when I'm not feeling strong enough to do it."
"Not being able to have a regular social life as a teenager nor as a young woman has been difficult."
"All my friends have jobs, moving out, doing everything a young adult would do but I’m stuck here just running behind in life."
"I’ve lost four years of my life and haven’t been able to do the things I want to do."
"As a very social and outgoing person, it is difficult to not be able to socialize with my friends for long periods of time."
"It’s been hard to be tied down to a hospital for the past three years and see everyone around me suffer from cancer and not be able to do anything about it."
"I want to eat yummy foods, ride lots of exhilarating rides, watch parades, & most importantly have lots of fun with my mom!"
""
"Being young, I never imagined I would be undergoing breast cancer. The heaviness of going to doctor’s appointments multiple times a week, if not every day, weighs on me."
"My treatment has been very challenging, and I am pretty nervous, to say the least."
"I watched all my friends go to college when I took a year off for my initial treatment. Then I watched all my new friends go off to college when I relapsed. While they are moving forward in life, it feels like I’m stumbling around in the same..."
"Sharri loves to dance and paint and especially loves her dog, Cooper, and princesses."
"I’ve lost the ability to work which financially hinders our family and takes away the opportunity for me to meet new people."
"I certainly didn't put ‘Get Diagnosed with Brain Cancer at 23’ on my bingo board"
"Being told things like ‘you’re just very emotional, life is hard, all you do is complain’ has made me feel like I’m a burden and I feel very lonely at times."
