“Son, you overcame CDH. You can overcome anything.” 

Jack Anguish

When Jack Anguish prepared  to pitch his first baseball game, he was nervous enough that he couldn’t hide it. Anguish was visibly agitated, pacing and fidgeting. Luckily for him, his dad had just the right thing to say to the typically positive and confident teenager. “Son, you overcame CDH. You can overcome anything.” 

That attitude has carried Jack through childhood and high school, and into a bright promising future. Now a sophomore at Wingate University, studying finance with a minor in marketing, Jack hopes to continue being an advocate for the community that helped save his life. 

Jack was born to Richard and Kristi Anguish of Albany, NY on March 7, 2001. Both State Troopers at the time of Jack’s diagnosis, they knew he would need to temporarily relocate to Boston, MA for Jack’s birth but were unsure how they could make it work. Unbeknownst to them, their coworkers were already raising funds to help support them in their time of crisis. That financial assistance, along with donations from the State Troopers Association and the Signal 30 Fund, made it possible for them to greet Jack safely in Boston without any financial strain. 

For years they gave talks to graduating students from the State Trooper Academy, telling them about the importance of contributing to these funds and helping their fellow State Troopers in need, and when he was old enough Jack began to attend these talks with them, working as a spokesperson alongside his parents. The humility and perspective that those talks provided him with helped forge Jack into a young man who was “reliable beyond his years,” as one of his teachers stated. A natural-born leader, Jack isn’t just a dedicated student, he’s constantly encouraging his fellow students and capable of juggling multiple responsibilities at once with ease. 

Though some aspects of Jack Anguish’s future are still unknown, those who know him have little doubt that he has a bright future ahead. He continues to apply the perseverance and optimism that helped him navigate CDH to every life challenge that he meets.

YOUR DONATIONS HAVE MADE THESE STORIES POSSIBLE