Opinion

DANIEL HOFFMAN: What my family learned from a 12-year-old about inner strength

My sons and I have supported the Jessie Rees Foundation since my wife, Kim, passed away from cancer almost five years ago

By Daniel Hoffman Fox News

Published February 15, 2026 9:00am EST

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On a Saturday afternoon earlier this month, I had the privilege of spending quality time with my friend and Fox News colleague John Roberts in the most unlikely of places: the basketball court at the Onelife Fitness in Tysons Corner, Virginia. That’s where staff from the Jessie Rees Foundation led a group of about 100 volunteers who stuffed 3,000 Joy Jars to support kids in the fight for their lives against pediatric cancer.

That’s the same number of Joy Jars Jessie Rees distributed to children stricken with cancer before she passed away at age 12 from terminal brain cancer. Empathetically thinking of other children like her, Jessie knew how to build a young patient’s resilience with a Joy Jar filled with gifts, toys and — because so many children lose their hair during treatment — hats. The Jessie Rees Foundation honors her legacy by holding Mobile Joy Jar events across the country and distributing hundreds of thousands of Joy Jars to children around the world.

Jessie’s motto was "Never Ever Give Up"........

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