Girl battling brain tumor receives support from Jacksonville charity

A girl overcoming her battle with a brain tumor is also receiving support from a Jacksonville charitable organization.

Lucy Sembach was diagnosed with Diffuse Astrocytoma when she was one year old. Her mother, Melanie, told us after doctors discovered the mass, Lucy began her treatment with a 10-hour surgery to remove the tumor.

“It did create a little damage to the cerebellum which is her balance center so, after surgery, she had to relearn how to sit, stand, and walk all over again,” Melanie Sembach said.

To prevent any tumor cells from spreading, Lucy has been receiving chemo every Friday for the past year.

“She’s been unbelievable. She’s been a rock star all the way through,” Lucy's mother said.

During her chemo treatments at Wolfson Children’s Hospital , Lucy gets to see familiar faces and meet with new guests who stop by to help the now three-year-old laugh through her struggles.

The day of her diagnosis turned her family’s world upside down, putting them on an emotional rollercoaster they didn’t know how to get off of.

That's when the nonprofit organization, Tom Coughlin Jay Fund, stepped in and helped out. By covering gas mileage, mortgage payments and even groceries, the Jacksonville organization helps families tackle childhood cancer.

“To have something like the Jay Fund to be there for those patients and take that financial burden off – and you can just focus on your family and taking care of your child,” Melanie Sembach said.

Emotionally, the Jay Fund continues to help them feel like a family by providing special experiences they do all together. The constant support through this nonprofit helps families see the big picture; life is too short and you have to create special moments.

To help support the mission of the Jay Fund, you can purchase sponsor packages for their upcoming annual Tom Coughlin Jay Fund wine tasting gala on March 16th or you can donate to their cause online.

The Jay Fund has been there since Lucy’s diagnosis and they tell Action News Jax that they’ll continue to be there for her family to keep them together.

Cox Media Group