7-Year Old Nebraska Cancer Patient Jack Hoffman Meets President Obama
By Josh Hill
If you’re looking for another uplifting, heart warming story this week, look no further than the inspiring story of 7-year old Jack Hoffman. The young Nebraska football fan who is battling brain cancer, lifted our spirits when he ran for 69-yard touchdown in the Cornhusker’s spring game earlier in April. Jack met with President Obama and the youngster’s father said to this wasn’t an agenda pushing move — his seven year old son was simply doing nothing more than meeting with the leader of the free world.
“There is no advance agenda. I am here simply as Jack’s dad, and Bri is here as Jack’s mom,” Jack father Andy Hoffman told the N’Sider blog. “Of course, we hope that the President wants to support a conversation about pediatric brain cancer, but no matter what might happen if we get to meet President Obama, we’re honored that he has followed Jack’s journey. We’re honored because Jack represents every kid who has gone through this horrific disease without any changes in the first-line protocol to treat his form of pediatric brain cancer in 25 years.”
[RELATED: Jack Hoffman Gets His Own Trading Card]
After being diagnosed with brain cancer at just seven years old, Hoffman has already seen and done more than most people have or could imagine. He made headlines and won over hearts when he ran for that touchdown in the Nebraska spring game, but since then Hoffman has thrown out the first-pitch at a Nebraska-Michigan softball game, will be getting his own trading card and has now met President Obama.
It’s amazing that a kid can be battling such a brutal and devastating disease, yet still be coming out on top. A weaker person, in other words everyone else including myself, would crumble at the thought of facing death at a young age — or even our current age. But for Jack, that’s not a worry to him, because he’s too busy doing something those of us with more time fail to do: enjoy life.
He’s only been alive for seven years, but young Jack Hoffman is already finding it hard to choose what the best moment of his life has been, and here’s to hoping these are just the first in a long, long series of amazing moments in the life of Jack Hoffman.