After the death of a beloved parent, you can find yourself wanting to carry their legacy forward in their absence. One man in Ohio took on the task, and the effort is helping breast cancer patients in need.
Lavar Jacobs lost his mother to breast cancer in 2009, when she was just 49. The experience had a profound effect on him, especially watching her struggle with everyday tasks while dealing with a deadly illness. It’s inspired him to open a resource center in her memory.
He says, “I’ve always had the vision of the Kim Jacobs Breast Cancer Resource Center. She didn’t get to do everything she had planned. She deserves more of a legacy.”
The center’s goal is to help women struggling with the same issues Kim had to face as she fought the disease. Jacobs wants to offer them what they need in many aspects of their lives, from self-care to finances. Ultimately, he wants to do his part to make things easier for these patients.
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He says, “It’s a place where women who are battling breast cancer can come get wigs, massages, therapy, help with their finances, help with insurance, the kids have a room where they can hang out while she’s receiving services. Then outdoors, we do lawn care, snow removal, home cleaning, carpet cleaning … pretty much anything a woman would need that’s battling breast cancer.”
Jacobs explains that covering every single base for breast cancer patients is what’s most important to him.
His mother is close every step of the way. The urn with her ashes sits inside. It’s a way to honor the loved ones lost to breast cancer. It’s also a comfort to Jacobs, who was extremely close to his mom.
Jacobs says, “She was my best friend. If you knew me while my mom was still living, you knew how close me and my mom were. I know she’s looking down right now like, ‘That’s my baby. Look what my son’s doing. There he is.’”
Pictures of others who have lost their lives to breast cancer can be found in the center, as well.
This isn’t the only breast cancer-related support Jacobs has provided. He’s also the founder of Not Just October, which works to ensure the disease receives focus all year, not just during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It offers awareness programs and contributes to research. It also provides assistance for breast cancer patients, including free transportation to appointments and free life coaching.
For more on Jacobs’ story, watch this video from WKYC in Akron.