‘Jeanne’s Journey for Hope’ Aids Family of Girl Fighting Leukemia

Birthed out of the grief of losing their mother to cancer, south suburban siblings Greg, Michelle and Jeff Kurinec founded Jeanne’s Journey for Hope a decade ago.

Since then, their grassroots not-for-profit organization has provided over $125,000 in support to eight Chicago-area families with loved ones fighting cancer. And they’re not done yet: on Saturday, September 25th, the Kurinecs will hold one final fundraiser to help the family of an 8-year-old girl diagnosed last summer with leukemia.

The focus of the philanthropy’s efforts is Whitney Davis, a third-grade student from Mount Greenwood Elementary School, on Chicago’s Southwest Side.

In July 2020, Whitney received the diagnosis after complaining of physical ailments and showing signs of uncharacteristic lethargy. One of the most revealing developments, says her mother, Erin Kading-Davis, was that Whitney was no longer jumping all around during commercial breaks as the family watched television.

“I hadn’t seen her do that in a while,” Kading-Davis recalls. “Something was not right.”

Over the last year, Whitney’s daily oral chemotherapy has been supplemented by a lumbar puncture every three months, with a heavy dose of chemotherapy in her spine accompanied by five days of steroids. Whitney needs about five to seven days to recover from the intense treatment, says her mother.

There are two types of leukemia: AML (acute myeloid leukemia) and ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukemia). Whitney was initially diagnosed with both AML and ALL, bi-phenotypic leukemia. However, with further investigations by other hematologists, she was identified as having only ALL, which has a survival rate of 94 percent—more than 20 percentage points higher than the form of leukemia she was initially diagnosed as having.

The re-assessment was a piece of joyous news to the entire Davis family. Other family members include her father, Maurice, two grown brothers, Maurice and Diondre, and a sister, Madeline, a 16-year-old junior at St. Laurence High School.

Through a mutual friend, Whitney’s illness came to the attention of the Kurinecs. They have established a goal of raising $20,000 for the Davis family. Kading-Davis called the support “so humbling.”

The gathering from 2 to 6 p.m. on September 25th will be at Square Celt Ale House & Grill, 39 Orland Square Drive in Orland Park. Tickets for the event are $50, or $45 if purchased in advance. The event will also serve as a celebration—Whitney’s leukemia is in remission—and a reunion, since the Davis family has not seen so many of their friends since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

One of the first tipoffs that Whitney was back to her old self was the day she began jumping again, not long after she had received a birthday gift last November—a trampoline that she has since worn out.

“When she started jumping again, my heart just sang because I knew she was going to be OK,” says her mom. “It has been so wonderful to see her spunk and her fire come back.”

In 2012, the Kurinecs lost their mother, Jeanne, to colon cancer. Inspired by her lifelong passion to serve others, their support of other families honors her legacy. In its first year, JJFH funds supported the American Cancer Society. Since then, the not-for-profit has rallied behind eight families to pay hospital and medical bills or as income replacement if the disease has resulted in a loss of employment.

Beneficiaries have included a family of a 2-year-old boy, a family of a 6-year-old boy, four families whose mothers were fighting cancer, one family whose father was battling the disease, and a close family friend.

“One of the most rewarding parts of creating Jeanne’s Journey for Hope has been meeting all of the recipients and their families over the years,” says Greg Kurinec. “They have been an inspiration to us, as we learn about how they are fighting cancer. It’s been our honor to stand with them and spur on the generous support of so many this past decade.”

For the Davis family, having a child fight cancer during the pandemic has been a blessing in disguise.

“This whole COVID thing, how awful that it's been, it really has been a godsend,” says Kading-Davis. “Everyone had to wear a mask, everybody had to stay home. It kept the germs away. And Whitney was never isolated because everyone was going through it. She only missed seven days of school. If she had been in school as it has regularly been, that would have been a lot harder.”

Greg and Michelle are graduates of Providence Catholic High School in New Lenox; Jeff is a graduate of Carl Sandburg High School in Orland Park. Though JJFH is approaching its own philanthropic farewell, its impact on spurring on others to come alongside those in need is sure to continue well into the future. That includes the Davis family.

“I know for a fact that at the end of all this (treatment for Whitney), my family will be paying this forward, multiple times,” says Kading-Davis. “That's what my husband and I try to instill in our children—to make a difference for others.”

A variety of businesses and individuals have become sponsors of the event, and anyone interested in exploring how they may become a sponsor is encouraged to contact the Kurinec family at JeannesJourney4Hope@gmail.com.

For updates, photos of past events and other information, visit www.facebook.com/JeannesJourneyForHope. The organization is also online at www.jeannesjourneyforhope.org.