HOWELL – Jake “The Tank” Honig passed away back in January, but his legacy lives on as the Honig family continues to spread the #belikejake message. The Honig family has created a fundraiser in Jake’s honor to raise money for brain cancer and pediatric cancer awareness. The fundraiser will run from May 1-31, during Brain Cancer Awareness Month.
The fundraiser is selling t-shirts emblazoned with “Jake Honig’s Law” or “#belikejake” to help raise awareness for brain cancer as well as promote medical marijuana awareness.
“Our hope is that wearing the shirt will raise awareness for Jake Honig’s Law and help it get passed (currently awaiting Senate approval). Plus, generate a positive discussion on medical marijuana, so that patients who need it are aware that it’s available,” said Mike Honig.
Honig hopes that the shirt and the fundraiser will generate positive discussion around these topics, such as the controversial issue on medical marijuana.
On the fundraiser’s webpage, belikejake.com, the Honig family stated, “We deployed Medical Marijuana in November 2017, and it was the most comforting medication Jake was on. It proved to be even more comforting than we ever would [have] imagined, especially as Jake’s disease progressed from November, until his final days in January, 2018.”
The family noted that the six different medications they were given to treat Jake’s nausea, vomiting, pain, agitation, and sleep were “barely efficacious” and brought on serious side effects.
“When we administered the medical marijuana, Jake was a completely different person. Within 20 [minutes], he would stand up, he would eat, the vomiting would subside, his mood was energized, he slept and his agitation would disappear,” they stated.
The Honig family has continued their efforts to make strides for the use of medical marijuana to treat certain illnesses, showing that it had certainly helped them treat Jake. “Marijuana wasn’t lifesaving, but it was life altering for Jake and for us as a family.”
This fundraiser is just another way that Jake is making his mark on the world, even after his passing. As the site noted, “When some people pass away, their contribution to the world is done. Jake’s has just begun.”
Prior to this fundraiser, Jake donated his brain and spine to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for research so that doctors can examine his tumor type to help children with Jake’s illness in the future.
“There have only been a handful of patients with Jake’s tumor type, so a lot needs to be learned. Without physically studying these aggressive tumors, progress just can’t be made. Jake made the ultimate sacrifice, and we hope that because of his donation, doctors can formulate a better treatment plan, so that other children won’t have to suffer,” stated the Honig family.
Not to mention the tens of thousands of dollars that have already been raised for brain cancer research in Jake’s honor.
Part of the #belikejake t-shirt fundraiser is to advocate for “Jake Honig’s Law.” This is a bill that was submitted to the state in Jake’s name that could lift the ban on the 2 oz. monthly limit on medical marijuana and allow NJ dispensaries to sell marijuana in different formulations.
According to Mike Honig, all proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit the Exact Research Project at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia where Jake’s tumors are being researched.
“They collaborate with 12 hospitals worldwide in an effort to find a cure for hard to treat brain tumors [with] rare genetic disorders…Jake’s tumors are currently being injected into mice, for further study,” said Honig.
The research project relies on private funding, and Honig hopes to have 1,000 shirts donated to raise money.
T-shirts cost $20 for adults and $18 for kids. They will be printed with the “Jake Honig’s Law” logo and medical marijuana leaves. They are also decorated with an artistic portrait of Jake “the Tank” giving the thumbs up while sitting in none other than – you guessed it – a tank.
The shirts also highlight the colors green, gray, and gold. Green is meant to signify medical marijuana awareness; gray, brain cancer awareness; and gold, pediatric cancer awareness.
Kids’ shirts will be printed without the medical marijuana leaves so that they are school friendly.
You can purchase a t-shirt and donate to Jake’s cause at belikejake.com.
