Honoring a mom’s breast cancer fight

“I can’t even remember life without her having cancer because it’s just an integral part of my upbringing, her having to go to New York for proton therapy or flying over the country and whatnot,” Flagg said. “And so I just became like ‘this is reality.’” 

Nevertheless, during the eight years Jackson’s mom battled cancer — from when he was in kindergarten until he was 14 — she maintained a steadfast commitment to being the best mom possible. She’d be gone for weeks to receive treatment, but she would always come back. 

“Because she did so much for me, I want to do so much for people like her who are in the same situation,” Flagg said.

It wasn’t always obvious how he could make good on that promise. Jackson wasn’t an expert on the medical side of breast cancer, but he wanted to maximize his contribution to those who were doing groundbreaking research. 

“What would gain the most traction? Because there’s a lot of fundraising out there for breast cancer. What would make mine unique?” Flagg said. “I can incorporate my story into the thing, but that’s not enough. Maybe, instead of just being a fundraiser, I could actually have an investment portfolio.”

And sure enough, investing was something Jackson knew how to do. Flush with cash after his bar mitzvah, Flagg — as most 13-year-olds wish they had the foresight to do — invested a portion of his earnings into video game stocks. It just so happened that Flagg turned 13 on the precipice of the COVID-19 pandemic, when gaming-induced escapism was more appealing than ever. 

As his stocks skyrocketed, so did his passion for finance. In the coming years, Flagg would fill his idle time by reading financial reports, taking dual enrollment classes in accounting and economics at local community colleges and participating in investment competitions. 

Investing was the goal, but investing requires money. The high school junior, however, took the challenges in stride: over the summer, he taught himself website design, watched a YouTube video on receiving 501(c)3 status, and personalized 200 emails to family members, friends, neighbors and acquaintances who were potential donors. 

Once Flagg had exhausted his immediate connections, he found ways to educate strangers about his mom’s story and get them (figuratively and literally) invested in his mission.

“I just forced myself into my principal’s office and told her about the Ruth Fund and said, ‘Do you think I could send an email out to the parents talking about what this is? And I just kept asking her,” Flagg said. “So I sent the newsletter to parents of the school, and I talked about it in the school announcements during Breast Cancer Awareness month.”

The Ruth Fund is not a one-off, Flagg made clear. The long-term nature of the project requires that Jackson stay involved even as he heads to college. And Flagg hopes the Ruth Fund will grow with him, perhaps focusing its donations toward more targeted, community-run research rather than broad operations. 

“In college, I really wanted to partner with student organizations or college organizations where they can connect you to some sort of program where I can actually fund students researching breast cancer on campus,” Flagg said.

In the meantime, however, Flagg is interested in spreading awareness while gathering donations. During Breast Cancer Awareness month this September, he woke up at six in the morning to pass out pink bracelets to the first 200 students who arrived at his school. 

“Besides impact, a lot of people have come up to me at school and teachers,” Flagg said. “When my teacher heard my talk during the announcement, she was like, ‘Hey, my family member has breast cancer, and this really resonated with me. It’s so great that you’re doing this.’”

But no one’s approval matters as much as his mom’s. 

“I think she would be overwhelmingly proud,” Flagg said. “Even though I feel like this is a long term thing, she would recognize that. I think she would be more than honored to have the fund in her name.”

You can donate to the Ruth Fund and support Flagg’s mission here. Any amount helps. Visit ruthfund.org/donate to learn more and to donate.

Elise Spenner is a senior at Burlingame High School. Student News appears in the weekend edition. You can email Student News at news@smdailyjournal.com.