Dean Crowe, Founder and CEO at Rally Foundation for Childhood Cancer Research, shared on LinkedIn:
“Jordan,
Middle School. That’s when we met. It was your first battle with AML. Your smile could light up a room then, and it still does. I love that you were a Rally Young Professional at 32 years old. Thank you for letting me walk through life with you.
You endured four battles with AML. Four. And through every single one, you fought so hard and with so much grace. I will miss our texts and phone calls more than I can say. There are so many moments I will never forget because your fingerprints are all over Rally and all over my heart.
I remember sitting outside your hospital room when you relapsed in college. I was with your parents and a U.S. congressman, talking about how we simply had to do better for kids and young adults fighting cancer. That conversation helped lead to the initial letter seeking childhood and AYA cancer research funding through the Department of Defense. Jordan, you were part of that. You were part of changing things for kids with cancer who would come after you.
Of course, we had our shared love of Young Life, of Auburn University and Auburn football. I still sleep in my Comfort Color KA T-shirt from your fundraiser.
I remember you coming to see me at Rally in February. That’s when we took this picture. You looked so good, were so happy and were doing so well in your career.
Then in May, you called me when I was at the beach with the kids and grands. I answered, and from the way you said hello, I knew. Your cancer was back. And back it was with a vengeance. We had some honest, heartfelt and hard conversations. Thank you for confiding in me and trusting me.
I am so grateful for the hope of Heaven. I am grateful for your faith and for mine. But that doesn’t mean I am not incredibly sad that you aren’t here.
I am heartbroken for your family. And I find myself grieving for people who never even had the chance to know you. For the woman who might have had the privilege of becoming your wife and for the children who might have had the blessing of calling you Dad. They would have been so lucky. I think it is the ‘what will never be’ that hurts the most.
You are an amazing person, Jordan. You will be deeply missed. You already are.
Isaiah 40:8 says,
‘The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.’
And I think I would add one more thing: Jordan, your smile will endure forever, too.
That’s the smile I am going to hold onto. The smile that lit up a room when you were in middle school and never stopped. The smile that will continue to inspire me to fight harder and keep pushing for better treatments and cures for kids and young adults fighting cancer.
On Sunday, we will celebrate your life. But no, Jordan, we won’t stop there. We will continue to celebrate your life, your impact, your faith and that unforgettable smile for as long as we are here. I love you, Jordan. Thank you for letting me walk alongside you. What a privilege it has been.”
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