Fundraiser Launched For Glen Rock Man Battling Cancer

GLEN ROCK, N.J. — Nearly $39,000 has been donated so far to help a young Glen Rock man battle against cancer.

Jack Mattsson was 19 when he was diagnosed with Osteosarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer that mostly affects teenagers, last year.

Mattsson had to drop out of James Madison University in order to receive treatment and has not been back since.

Mattsson's family has set up a fundraising campaign for him on Youcaring.com. The family hopes to raise $150,000 for him. Donated money will go to help the family with medical and travel costs.

Mattsson underwent surgery to remove a 6-inch tumor from his leg and another surgery in January to remove 30 tumors that had metastasized in his lungs, the biggest of which was the size of a tennis ball, said Rudy Mattsson, Jack's father.

The family has made more than 70 trips to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and participated in a clinical trial in Atlanta for five weeks.

"When first diagnosed Jack declared war on osteosarcoma knowing it would be an all-in battle," Rudy Mattsson said. "The support from family and friends has been instrumental to Jack’s resiliency. However, there is so much more fight to come as this will be a long and expensive endeavor with many uncertainties in front of us."

Rudy Mattsson left his job last year to help his son fight the cancer.

"Jack’s resiliency has been nothing short of amazing," Rudy Mattsson said. "Since then he has been a joy to be around despite all the uncertainty and setbacks."

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Screenshot of the Youcaring.com campaign set up to help Jack Mattsson.