Trip of a lifetime paid for by a community that ‘cares’

A sign at the back of the Surfside United Methodist Church noting this as “Jason’s House” lets out-of-town visitors know they’ve come to the right place.

The row of brightly colored Corvettes and the Surfside Beach fire truck in the parking lot also gives an indication something special is happening here. Inside, volunteers are gathered in the reception area, ready to offer a warm Myrtle Beach welcome to the families with young cancer victims who’ve come to enjoy a week at the ocean and “get away from it all.”

“They’re getting away from hospitals, doctors, and chemo,” explained Elaine Paige with Jason’s House.

Karol Free, her three sons, and her niece were among the first arrivals on Saturday. It’s been a difficult year following the discovery of a lump in 5-year-old Kaleb Batt’s side. He was diagnosed with Stage 4 Wilms Tumor and had surgery to remove his left kidney, but the cancer had spread to his lungs. Surgery was followed by chemotherapy, then radiation, and he still has another month of chemotherapy to go. So, his mother was excited when Kaleb’s name was pulled in a drawing held at the Norfolk, Va., hospital where he’s being treated, giving them a free family vacation in Myrtle Beach.

“It means the world to me because it’s been a tough year and there’s been so many downs,” Karol Free said. “But the ups are finally coming, and just being able to see him smile and have a good time is amazing.”

The Aldarado family traveled here from Pittsburg, N.C. Eight-year-old Angel was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of two and was treated, but it recently came back.

“This is the second time he’s going through this,” said his mother, Hilda Aldarado. “And last year he was in the hospital almost the whole year. We were in and out, in and out, and he had a central line that couldn’t get wet, so he couldn’t go to the beach or be in the pool. So, this year is very exciting for him to be swimming and to come to the beach.”

Angel, who was wearing a hat he’d just made in a nearby craft room set up for the kids, was all smiles about the week ahead.

“We’ve never been to this beach before,” he said. But he added his cousin had been here and gave it good reviews.

“I was in the hospital. She said it was really nice and fun.”

The idea for Jason’s House, which is not really a house at all, started at Surfside United Methodist Church in 1984 with a husband and wife dealing with the loss of their son.

“Jason Lewis was the little boy who died of cancer,” Paige said. “His parents moved to Myrtle Beach after his death and said, ‘Oh my goodness, wouldn’t he have loved to live here with all the fun things to do?’”

They decided to bring other children to the beach to enjoy the things they knew would have meant so much to Jason. The program has expanded significantly since it began 32 years ago. With the help of social workers and doctors at 14 hospitals in Virginia, North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina, Jason’s House now brings 60 families here every summer.

Those families begin arriving the first weekend in June and continue through the last weekend in August.

Paige says that while a week at the beach is wonderful for the kids, it also offers a much needed break for the parents.

“They are so stressed out, many of them have lost jobs or lost spouses because of the tension. Some of them have never been on a vacation before. And for some of them this will be their last vacation because the children won’t make it,” Paige said.

Families stay in oceanfront hotels and motels, dine in area restaurants, visit local attractions, and enjoy everything the beach has to offer. Paige says it’s the overwhelming support and generosity of the Myrtle Beach community that makes it all possible. The accommodations, restaurant meals, and entertainment are all donated.

“When you think about staying oceanfront in Myrtle Beach during peak season and then going to Crabby Mike’s or Angelo’s Steak and Pasta, and I mean I can go on and on, it’s just unbelievable. And then you go to Pirate’s Voyage and the many other attractions, it’s probably thousands and thousands of dollars for a family of four that the community gives us.”

Each family also gets $300 in cash, thanks to money donated from individuals, businesses, civic groups, and others. Dedicated volunteers help in a variety of ways, and members of the Surfside Beach Fire Department and the Grand Strand Corvette Club are on hand every Saturday and Sunday to greet the kids and offer them the chance to climb into one of those many vehicles.

“Members of the Corvette Club are here every Saturday and Sunday and they sit down there (at the end of the parking lot) in that summer heat,” says Paige. “And the fire department, too, they come every weekend they can.”

Paige says everyone works hard to kick off vacation week with a party-like, celebratory atmosphere.

Jennifer Britt, whose 18-year-old son, Jacob, was diagnosed with HLH, a rare genetic blood disorder a year-and-a-half ago, says she and her husband, are incredibly grateful to be able to come down from Virginia to enjoy Myrtle Beach.

“It’s amazing. The last year-and-a-half Jacob has been really sick. Last summer was really difficult and our goal this year was making it through school and getting him to graduate,” Britt said. “So, obviously with him being sick and the medical expenses and everything else, we don’t have the opportunity to do something like this. It’s unbelievable.”

Jacob said he’s looking forward to a week free of doctor’s appointments and away from work.

“It’s cool that people care enough to even do this in the first place. They say it’s the thought that counts, it’s just the effort that people are actually letting us come down,” he said. “It shows you people care and it really means a lot.”

David Owens, who also just turned 18, was pleased about the week ahead.

“I’m pretty excited. I’ve never been here before, so I’m always up for a new experience,” he said.

It offers a nice break between graduating high school in Chapel Hill and before starting college when he returns home. A trip to the ocean is especially meaningful for Owens, who is battling a recurring tumor in his brain and spine, and wants to become a marine biologist.

“You know the studies they’re now doing with jellyfish and tumors? That’s what I want to go into. I would love to give back to the doctors who have been helping me out,” he said. He’d also like to help young children avoid dealing with what he’s had to go through, he added.

As everyone prepared to head off to their hotels, volunteers offered last minute advice about places to go and things to see along the Grand Strand. Karol Free said with so many options, she and the kids will have to look through the brochures, then decide based on what Kaleb feels well enough to do. One thing, however, is for sure.

“They’re looking forward to seeing sharks. They love anything to do with sea life, so they’re really looking forward to going to the Ripley Aquarium and things like that,” she said.

Kaleb wasn’t answering questions, but did offer a big smile at just the mention of sharks.

Paige says it’s those smiles that make all of this so worthwhile and keeps the Myrtle Beach community dedicated to helping those families year after year after year.

“It’s all about the children, the families, and the suffering they’ve gone through. And giving them a week full of memories that will last a lifetime,” Paige said.

For more information or to make a donation call 843-238-2734 or visit surfsideumc.com.

This story was originally published August 14, 2016 at 4:07 PM with the headline "Trip of a lifetime paid for by a community that ‘cares’."