Soccer Tournament Saturday For Middletown Boy Who Died At 12

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — This Saturday, Oct. 1, 18 girls' soccer teams from two of the state's most competitive conferences, the Shore Conference and the Skylands Conference, will participate in the annual Mountain vs. Seas tournament.

All the games will be played at Capelli Soccer Complex in Tinton Falls and the public is invited to come watch and cheer on local teams. The schedule of games is above.

Some of the teams playing will be Middletown South, Red Bank Catholic, Holmdel High School, Toms River North and Shore Regional, all highly ranked teams that provide a high level of play.

This year, the tournament will support the Team Jack Foundation, a non-profit that provides for families facing the expenses and hardships of pediatric cancer.

Team Jack was founded in memory of Jack Esposito, a Middletown boy who died from complications of treatment of pediatric cancer in 2016. He was 12 years old.

Jack was technically cancer-free at the time of his death, but he became septic after requiring a bone marrow transplant, according to this website created by his sister, Katie Esposito. Katie is now studying to be a pediatric cancer nurse because of her brother's death; he died on the morning of her 14th birthday.

Jack was a student at Lincroft Elementary School and then attended St. Leo the Great School. The year he died, he was in the sixth grade at St. Leo the Great.

This year, it is the Shore's year to host the event and Frank Lawrence, the girls' head soccer coach at Red Bank Catholic, is coordinating the tournament.

So far, the tournament has raised $30,000 for the Team Jack Foundation. You can donate directly here: https://theteamjackfoundation....

The family has lived in the Lincroft section of Middletown since 2007 and Jack's parents, Keith and Colleen Esposito, still live in Lincroft today.

A few years after Jack died, his mother and sister were talking about how they could help other families going through what they experienced, said his sister.

"When a child is diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, the entire family is affected," said Katie Esposito. "Team Jack has provided financial assistance to families facing pediatric illnesses since 2018. We have supported families through assistance with bills, rent and other living costs. We help cover travel costs and provide families with gift cards for gas and local restaurants. (Once), a family reached out to us about their car insurance for the month –we were able to surprise them and prepay it for the entire year. Families should never have to choose between working or taking time to care for their ill child."

"I'm hoping we will raise $40-50,000 by Saturday for Team Jack," said Kristen Goodrich, whose daughter, Devyn Drusjack, is a senior soccer player at Red Bank Catholic.

It was her daughter who actually helped connect with The Team Jack Foundation, as she is co-president of the cancer awareness club at Red Bank Catholic.

"Anything we can do to get the word out about the event would be fantastic," said Goodrich. "I am just a volunteer helping with the event but after learning about Jack's story, I hope to continue to volunteer for Team Jack for as long as they will have me."

Here is Jack's story:

In 2014, at the age of 10, Jack was diagnosed with very high risk Pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia, which has an 85-90 percent cure rate. The treatment was to last three and a half years at Monmouth Medical Center and Jack achieved remission two months after his diagnosis. Jack resumed classes back in Middletown public schools and his hair grew back.

However, 17 months later, the leukemia came back.

"We were told he needed a bone marrow transplant and he moved to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for treatment," according to his sister. "Jack achieved a second remission and responded well to the chemo and immunotherapy. Bone marrow transplant is very grueling, especially for children. Some kids are lucky to get through it and nearly all suffer the side effects for the rest of their lives. Jack had multiple rounds of chemo, cranial and full body radiation. In May 2016, Jack had his bone marrow transplant with a 9/10 match and his counts rebounded quickly."

"The recovery was difficult, but he was improving and was even released for a few days. Then, on Father's Day, Jack became septic and was taken via helicopter back to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia."

"After six weeks of many ups and downs in the PICU (pediatric intensive care unit), things worsened," his mother wrote. "The treatment had taken a huge toll. I had to tell him it was OK to go — that is the hardest thing a mother could ever do. Jack died in my arms with my husband, Keith, holding his hand on August 2, 2016. He was only 12 ½."

"Jack died on the morning of my fourteenth birthday," said his sister.

“He developed graft-versus-host disease, a double pneumothorax and a litany of complications from the transplant. His chance of survival decreased each day that passed,” she told the Two River Times.

"Jack never complained and inspires us every day," his mother, Colleen, told Patch.

Here are photos of young Jack and his story: https://theteamjackfoundation....

The mother and sister said they are deeply honored Jack's Foundation was chosen as the recipient of the 2022 Mountain vs. Seas tournament.

Both Jack's mother and sister said they wanted to get the word out about Saturday's tournament and have as many people as possible attend and raise money for Team Jack. For the past three years, the Mountain vs. Seas tournament has raised more than $100,000 for charitable organizations that are important to the teenage young women athletes.