‘We Don’t Have To Suffer In Silence’: After LI Toddler’s Leukemia Diagnosis, Holiday Fundraiser Raises $5K

WEST BABYLON, NY — East Neck Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in West Babylon felt more like a neighborhood holiday open house than a fundraiser last Wednesday: twinkling décor, kids stopping for crafts, and a steady stream of residents and visitors lining up for food, raffles, and a chance to support a West Babylon family navigating a child’s leukemia diagnosis.

The center’s “Holiday Cheer Pie Grab & Go” fundraiser raised $5,000 and was organized to support the Berry family of West Babylon as 17-month-old Jackson Berry continues treatment for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a battle that has reshaped daily life for his parents and prompted a wave of community support that, on this night, filled the building.

Shaun Berry, Jackson’s father, said the turnout wasn’t just a boost financially — it was proof that the family is not carrying this alone. As he looked around the room, he described how support has come from expected places, like lifelong friends, and from people he has never met who still felt compelled to reach out.

“It’s amazing how people you don’t even know, who have gone through their own experiences, have reached out and have been willing to help,” Berry said.

Former classmates who stayed in touch through social media, hospital staff who became an anchor, and strangers who saw the family’s story and wanted to be part of the support system all have reached out to assist the family.

“Time and time again, we’ve realized that we’re not alone in all of this,” Berry said, adding that he’s even heard from people across the country. “I’ve been reached out to by people who live in California.”

The fundraiser itself reflected the same theme. Guests flowed through multiple stations — food service, raffle tables, crafts, photos with Santa, and holiday performers — creating the kind of drop-in, welcoming event organizers hoped would feel accessible to anyone who could stop by, even briefly. The invitation promoted “Christmas carols, letters to Santa, lite fare, a mini dessert & hot chocolate bar, [a] Chinese auction and so much more,” and attendees received a complimentary mini pie as a thank-you.

For Courtney Webb, East Neck’s regional director of admissions, the night was personal. Both Babylon natives, Webb grew up with Jenna Berry, and wanted to help in a way that felt tangible and immediate.

“For somebody that I grew up with means so much. It really does,” Webb said. “It’s a lot to take in, it’s a lot to be able to talk about, but the fact that I’m able to help somebody that I grew up with means the world to me.”

Berry said Jackson’s spirits have remained strong even as the medical path has been demanding and unpredictable.

“As far as spirits go, the kid is a trooper,” he said. “He’s always in a good mood,” Berry explained that his son looks to his parents in the moment — especially when something uncomfortable is happening — and the parents respond by trying to steady him with reassurance. “He looks to us for assurance … and we look to him like, ‘You’re OK, you’re safe.’”

Berry said the family recently faced a setback when a bone marrow biopsy showed signs of leukemia, meaning Jackson’s levels have to be cleared before the transplant can proceed.

“It needs to be completely down to zero before we go for the transplant,” he said. “We’re back in Stony Brook for hopefully another [chemotherapy] round before the transplant.”

As the family works through the medical calendar, Berry said they have also had to confront the economic reality of what long-term pediatric cancer care does to a household: missed work, extended leaves, travel between hospitals, and the day-to-day costs that pile up quietly while the focus remains on a child’s health.

Jenna Berry had to leave work completely, and the family started building support channels early, leaning on friends with professional skills who offered help immediately.

“My wife is a graphic designer, and when everything happened, she reached out to me and said, ‘Whatever you guys need,’” he said.

Within days, Berry said he started a GoFundMe and the family created a site — berrystrong.org— to raise awareness and support.

“When this all started, I pretty much just thought … ‘By any means necessary, I want to make sure that we’re going to be OK,’” he said. “Anybody that I’ve ever spoken to who’s willing to help, I just reached out to everybody — and it’s working out really well.”
That willingness to ask for help became the driving message Berry said he hopes other families take from their experience. In a culture that often pressures people to “handle it” alone, he emphasized the value — and difficulty — of allowing others in.

“You’re not alone, even though it may feel like you are,” he said. “Lean on the people who are willing to help you and try not to push anybody away,” Berry said. “There are people out there that are willing to help, but you have to be able to ask for it — humble yourself — be willing to accept the help. You don’t have to do it on your own.”

Zach Stol, assistant administrator at East Neck Nursing and Rehab, credited the employees who coordinated “everything start to finish,” from décor to vendors to overall setup, and said it mattered that the fundraiser would directly support the family.

“They work really hard to get a good turnout, and it’s nice for the community,” Stol said. “It’s been weeks in the making. Between getting everything that we need and getting the support from the community that we need, and structuring the staff so that we can all be able to get it done — executing all the hard work’s definitely paying off.”

For Stol, part of what made the night feel meaningful was watching children participate — choosing raffles with parents, moving through crafts, and reacting to the holiday moments that can feel small in the moment but significant in a season built on togetherness. “It’s fun to see … the smiles on their faces,” he said. “They’re helping their parents pick raffles to choose from. They’re going to the arts and crafts.”

The most consistent theme wasn’t the decorations or even the impressive spread of food — it was the feeling Berry described when he looked around the room and saw people showing up.

“We don’t have to suffer in silence,” he said.