4-Year-Old Boy Gets Cancer Diagnosis, Preschool Classmates Raise $10K For His Treatment With Hot Chocolate

Jan 30, 2020 by apost team

Seeing a child suffering with cancer is one of the most heartbreaking scenes imaginable. Often times, parents also have difficulty paying for their child’s treatment. Thankfully, the family of one 4-year-old boy from California who is undergoing cancer treatment got help from the most unexpected of places: their child’s pre-school classmates!

Jasper Mazzocco is a student at Redding Cooperative Preschool. Last November, young Jasper was diagnosed with a rare type of brain cancer. Upon further investigation, doctors found that the young boy also had a tumor in his brain. Due to the severity of his condition, Jasper was immediately hospitalized at UC Davis Medical Center in nearby Sacramento, where he is undergoing treatment for his condition.

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The Mazzocco family’s situation became even more tenuous as they faced new financial struggles. To help with their rising medical bills, the family established a GoFundMe page, where they regularly inform their supporters of Jasper’s progress. Hearing of the Mazzocco’s financial problems and missing Jasper deeply, the students of Redding Cooperative Preschool urged their parents and teachers to hold a special fundraiser for the young boy.

At first, organizers planned on selling lemonade, but changed to hot cocoa due to the winter cold. Upon hearing of the event, which became known as Hot Cocoa for a Cure, local businesses quickly donated items to help. Trader Joe’s donated coffee to the event and allowed organizers to hold the fundraiser outside of their store. Dick’s Sporting Goods provided several tables and chairs to the effort as Starbucks and Costco donated mounds of baked goods. Three employees from Starbucks also carried gallons of hot water to the event so volunteers could make the hot cocoa. In total, the fundraiser was able to make $10,000 for the Mazzocco family.

The event grew so large that it was covered by CBS 47 News. Becky Haskins, one of the fundraiser’s organizers, said that kids at the school miss Jasper very much and won’t stop talking about him. Haskins added that Jasper is a sweet boy and the Mazzocco family is very kind. Jasper’s teacher, Jessica Stephens, adds that many cancer survivors stopped by the event and told organizers of their inspiring battle with the disease.

Last week, in a Facebook post, Jasper’s mom Shelby informed her followers that scans had found that Jasper’s tumor is shrinking. Speaking with reporters from CNN a few days later, Shelby says that Jasper underwent surgery and that he would be undergoing additional chemotherapy soon.

What do you think of how the kids at Redding Cooperative Preschool joined together to hold a fundraiser for Jasper?