Meet CCA Hero, Jacob

A Zest for Life

Seventeen-year-old Jacob Daskalakis has a contagious smile and a zest for life that is apparent the moment you meet him. He loves riding his dirt bike, running, cheering on the Portland Trail Blazers, and making others laugh.

Staying Positive

Even during his long battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, Jacob still managed to find the fun in a tough situation. During his many inpatient stays, he would wear silly costumes and make fun music videos to lift everyone’s spirits. He also enjoyed going to Blazer games with his Chemo Pal Tommy and gathering friends and family for a trip to the Caring Cabin.

Throughout it all, Jacob says his strong faith helped him stay positive even when things got rough.

“Getting sad or angry wasn’t going to help me get through the treatments,” he explained. “So I decided to always stay in good spirits no matter what.”

One Less Problem Without You (Cancer)

Now that his treatment is over, Jacob is back to running with his cross-country team and plans to study medicine so that he can be a doctor someday.

“I want to be able to shed light on this disease and hopefully help other people,” he said. With his inspiring outlook, Jacob already has.