Jackson Markert's Story

Jackson was born in September of 2007, on a beautiful Monday afternoon in Dallas, Texas to Lindsay and Ryan Markert. That day their whole world instantly got better, and the sun seemed brighter. Jackson was their first child and was the absolute center of their universe. Almost exactly 2 years later, in September of 2009, the Markert family would welcome their 2ndson into the world; Brayden. Jackson instantly took on the role of big brother and wore that title proudly. Jackson and Brayden grew to be each other’s best friend. Life in the Markert household was about as close to perfect as you could imagine. 

Friday, May 21st, 2010 was the day that would change the Markert family forever. That day they heard the words that no parent ever wants to hear:

“Your child has cancer”.

Jackson, who was 2 1/2 at the time, was diagnosed with an undifferentiated soft tissue sarcoma; a cancerous tumor in the upper portion of his right leg. 

After multiple rounds of chemo, several surgeries, and weeks of radiation therapy the doctors said the words that Jackson and his family were waiting for. “Your son is now in remission.”

They were finally able to get back to a “normal” life and Jackson could be a kid again. No more filling his little body full of drugs, no more exposure to high doses of radiation, no more cutting into him to remove tumors and then trying to put him back together again. Praise the Lord! 

Jackson went on to live the next 10 years of his life to the fullest. He and his younger brother Brayden were inseparable. As their family grew, Jackson became a big brother to three more siblings. A set of twins, Lyla and Landry; followed by his youngest brother Rowan. Being the oldest was something Jackson took a lot of pride in and something he never let his siblings forget! He coined the phrase “leader of the kids” and not a day went by without him leading them in some capacity. He was helpful and loving, especially when they were all in their baby stages, but he was also competitive and always pushed them to be better or try harder at whatever they were doing. He knew his role in the family was important and he took it seriously.

Jackson loved the outdoors, riding bikes, playing any sport, making up games with his siblings, shooting guns, driving the side by side. He was often trying to organize a wiffle ball game or running football routes with whoever was not worn out yet. Jackson was never the first one to go inside or get tired of playing. He wanted to get the most out of every single day. In school and in sports, he was always driven and determined to be the best version of himself. His standards were high, but he was always willing to put in the work to meet them. Jackson was blessed early on with a group of amazing friends. They were such a source of fun, fellowship, and healthy competition over the years. So many wonderful memories were made between church camps, sports, sleepovers, random hangouts, and birthday parties. Jackson loved music so much and played percussion.

After 10 healthy and vibrant years as a family of 7, Jackson’s life would take another unthinkable turn. 

May 5th, 2021, doctors found another cancerous tumor on Jackson.

Although the tumor was in a similar area of his body, this cancer was different than last time. It was osteosarcoma, which is basically a malignancy in the bones and/or cartridge. Jackson’s oncologists believed that this was an after effect of the radiation therapy he had received to help him fight of the sarcoma he had as a toddler.

Jackson started an aggressive regimen of chemotherapy over 5 months in hopes of getting the cancer to a point where surgeons could safely remove the cancer. There are only 5 surgeons in the US that have performed this type of surgery. This surgery was going to be performed by one of the most highly regarded of these surgeons is in Boston at Mass General. For the Markerts, this would mean relocating from their home in Texas temporarily while Jackson recovered and rehabilitated in Boston. 

During the 5 months of chemotherapy, Jackson fought through the effects of the medicine and still attempted to do the activities he enjoyed as much as possible. He went back to school whenever possible, he played sports, spent time with friends and family, attended church, he played his drums, we went on trips together, and he was outdoors whenever possible. 

On October 27, 2021, Jackson’s doctors determined that the chemotherapy was no longer working and the cancer was not only growing at a rapid rate, but it was now spreading to other parts of his body. As you can imagine, Jackson and his family were devastated. Once they picked ourselves off of the floor and wiped away the tears, they immediately started seeking out alternative treatment methods. Giving up was not an option. 

Jackson started immunotherapy and a regimen of natural supplements. Doctors were also able to perform a handful of targeted radiation therapy sessions to kill off a portion of the large mass aimed to prevent it from pushing into his bladder. In addition to this, Jackson was placed on hospice due to his declining mobility and increased pain levels.

The Markert family sought out another opinion in efforts to keep fighting this aggressive cancer. They traveled 4 hours away from home to meet with oncologists at MD Anderson in Houston, TX. The doctors quickly realized how dire Jackson’s situation was, so they immediately started working in effort to save his life.

On April 12th, 2022, at 11:57pm, heaven gained the BEST angel, a new resident sports statistician, an official baby holder, and wiffle ball game organizer. Jackson passed away in Houston, TX in the presence of his parents. He fought so incredibly hard, exuding extraordinary courage, endless love, and inspiring endurance. During Jackson’s final days, he told his family that he wanted to use any leftover money raised for his treatments to go to helping other families battling childhood cancer. 

Today, Markert Strong proudly continues to carry on Jackson’s wishes by providing financial and emotional support to families battling childhood cancer and child loss.