LIFE

Paying it forward in memory of Jack

Indianapolis boy's battle with cancer leads to kindness campaign in his name

Maureen C. Gilmer
maureen.gilmer@indystar.com
Ali and Matthew Klein clown around with their little brother Jack (middle), in the hospital early in his treatment for lymphoma.

Jack Klein had a dimple that could charm the socks off anyone. He was silly, fearless and invincible.

When he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma last March, his family and friends rallied around the spirited little boy, convinced he would beat the cancer that invaded his body.

Unfortunately, this is not a movie, and that's not how this story ends. Ten-year-old Jack died Saturday afternoon in the hospital, with his parents, Rebecca and John; his siblings, Ali, 15, and Matthew, 12; and extended family by his side.

"This is not the triumphant story we all wanted," said Jack's mom Friday evening, hours before her son died. She was speaking by phone just outside Jack's room at Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health. Jack was sleeping then, but she knew he didn't have long. He had been in hospice care at Riley for the past two weeks.

Jack Klein inspired a kindness movement nicknamed Jack's Pack.

But it was a magical two weeks — with Jack inspiring a campaign of goodness from Seattle to New York, though nowhere more evident than in his hometown of Indianapolis.

As he slept, angels of goodwill were busy spreading acts of kindness under the moniker #JacksPack, shared on social media and printed on T-shirts. As it said on the back of the shirts, "We've Got Jack's Back."

The effort was started by employees at local email marketing firm Delivra who wanted to do something, anything, to support Jack's family. His dad, John, is director of client services at Delivra.

"We've grown up with Jack," said Allyson Inglis, office manager at the company, which has 30 employees. "We're really tight. He loved to come in with his dad and work on the computer."

John would often regale the staff with "Jack stories." Like the time the sneaky little guy hid under his parents' bed to try to hear the parental password for the family computer. He eventually fell asleep.

This Jack's Pack card reminds people to "pay it forward" in his memory.

A few months after Jack was diagnosed, the Kleins decided to pursue an aggressive course of treatment at Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center near New York City. For five months, Jack and his parents lived in New York, while Jack's older brother and sister stayed with family, visiting Jack as often as they could.

Things were looking good for a while. Jack and his mom started watching cooking shows to pass the time, and a chef was born.

"He grew to love cooking while he was sick," said Rebecca, who works in quality assurance for Eli Lilly and Co. Jack got a chef's hat and coat for his birthday, and while he was an outpatient, he invited the hospital staff over to the Ronald McDonald House in New York for appetizers he prepared.

John's co-workers kept the family close by sending gifts to New York and creating a get-well picture book for him. The book included photos of an IU stuffed monkey that made the rounds at Delivra, sitting in on meetings and appearing on various desks. Both John and Rebecca attended IU, so Jack was a big fan. And he loved monkeys.

In fact, one of the gifts presented in Jack's name was to the Indianapolis Zoo — for the orangutans, of course, and their keepers. It included bubble bath, towels and snacks.

Jack Klein and his father, John.

In January, Jack relapsed, and the Kleins got the devastating news that there was nothing more doctors could do. So they brought their little boy home to Indianapolis, where he could be surrounded day and night by the countless people who loved him.

"We knew we had a huge network of family and friends," Rebecca said. "We just felt this great love."

When John's colleagues at Delivra learned that Jack's condition had worsened, they struggled to figure out how best to help. The family's immediate needs were being met by hospital staff, extended family and friends from work, church and school.

Because Jack had undergone multiple blood transfusions during his ordeal, the company organized a blood drive in honor of him, Inglis said, but they wanted to do more.

"Life is truly about love, and the Klein family is such a testament to that," Inglis said. "All those months they never left Jack's side. He felt love the whole way through. So we thought what better way to honor that than to spread kindness through the community in his name."

A graphic designer at the company created little monkey cards, inviting recipients to pay it forward in honor of Jack. The cards found their way into other businesses, schools and churches. People were asked to do a kind act, leave a card and share it on social media with the hashtag #jackspack.

And they did. Free cups of coffee. Pass it on. Money for gas for a woman found crying on the side of the road. Pass it on. Generous tips (sometimes 100 percent) at restaurants, free books for school kids, ice cream for firefighters and groceries for the person behind in line. Pass it on, pass it on, pass it on.

All in Jack's name.

Jack Klein and his mother, Rebecca.

"It's been a way to brighten the mood, honor Jack and give people an outlet," Rebecca said. "The spirit of Jack is still here in what we can do for one another in spreading kindness."

With that in mind, the story of #jackspack is not over.

On Tuesday morning, the family woke up to dozens of new acts of kindness committed in Jack's name — feeding the hungry in Charlotte, N.C., donating Curious George books to the library at Riley, distributing blessing bags for the homeless in Seattle, performing 100 random acts of kindness in Jack's name at IPS School 91 to celebrate the 100th day of school. "Love each other and pay it forward for Jack," the school's post said.

Moira Dugan had never donated blood before but did so this week to help other kids who are sick like Jack was. "When I thought of all the little children fighting life-threatening illnesses and the procedures they must endure, it seemed like such an easy thing to do. And it was," she wrote on Facebook. "Plus, the little monkey at the check-in desk told me not to be nervous. Let's all continue to pay it forward in Jack's name with love and acts of kindness ‪#‎jackspack‬."

That's the hope of Jack's pack of supporters.

"We would love to see his fun and loving spirit live on by continuing these cards in honor of Jack but also every other young child battling cancer with such brave and courageous hearts," Inglis said.

Jack's journey on Earth was filled with joy and laughter, sadness and pain. But it's the joy that his family wants people to remember.

"He was very much the fearless third child," Rebecca said. "He was a healthy, active little boy who played Little League baseball and chess on his school team (Sidener Academy). This is not the way it was supposed to end."

In an email sent to family and friends in Jack's final days, his parents said, "We look forward to hugging each and every one of you when the time is right. Every moment of the day and night, Jack is being caressed, told how much he is loved and reminded of you, his precious pack."

Call IndyStar reporter Maureen Gilmer at (317) 444-6879. Follow her on Twitter: @MaureenCGilmer.

Services

Services for Jack Klein will be Friday at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 4625 N. Kenwood Ave. If you would like to pay it forward in Jack's name, you can download and print out #jackspack cards from Delivra's Facebook page, facebook.com/delivra. Or pick up cards at Cafe Patachou, 49th and Pennsylvania streets. Do an act of kindness, snap a picture and post it to social media marked #jackspack, then leave the card for someone else to pay it forward.