A deferred family celebration finally arrives

The Fredericks family had two graduations to celebrate at their Upper Saddle River, N.J., home in June 2013—Christie’s from Cornell and Jessica’s  from Taft School. As events played out, however, there would be no party—not even close—no festive send-off for Christie, who had landed a job in Miami, or for Jessica, who was headed to Skidmore in the fall.

The morning of the party, Thomas Fredericks called his daughters to let them know that their mom, Sofia, had been diagnosed with AML4 leukemia, cancer of the blood and bone marrow. Says Sofia, “My white blood cell count was off the charts, my red blood cell count was practically nonexistent. It’s a pretty nasty business, this leukemia.”

“It was shocking,” remembers Jessica, now a sophomore business major and varsity lacrosse player with one of the best sticks on the team, according to varsity lacrosse coach Elizabeth Ghilardi. “Both because she has always been so healthy, and also because she is the nicest person I know. I just couldn’t believe it or understand it,”said Jessica of her mother.

Days before, the Fredericks women had been in Miami and went on a six-mile run. It took Sofia four hours to complete the route, even though she’d recently run a half-marathon. It was clear that she needed to see a doctor, and when she did, she was immediately hospitalized for in-patient chemotherapy and stayed for 40 days. Says Sofia, “The girls slept in my hospital room, but Christie had to return to Miami. And of course, my husband had to work. Jess stayed with me the whole time. All 40 days. This kid is just unbelievable.”

Among Sofia’s regrets is that she was unable to bring Jessica to Skidmore that September to get her settled in for her first year of college. “Jess was on her own, and she handled it so very well,” she says. “But she was in good hands—her lacrosse teammates really rallied to help her.” Says lacrosse coach Ghilardi, "We have a very tight group on the team and Jess is friends with seemingly everyone. I am so proud of her commitment and effort to raising money and training for the marathon. Family is so important to Jess and she has our support."

Now in remission after a bone-marrow transplant, Sofia is proud that her girls are both running in the Nov. 2 New York City Marathon. In honor of her mother, Jessica has raised an astounding $23,000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, while sister Christie has raised $10,000 for Parkinson’s, which afflicts another family member. Says Jessica, “Putting myself out there like this was definitely out of my comfort zone,” and adds, “I’m still shocked by how many people have been willing to support this cause.”

Sofia is grateful not just for the financial support, but for what lies underneath it. “As a parent, I know Jess is going to contribute to the human race,” she says. “She is such a giver. I’m so proud of the person she is. My biggest hope for both of my daughters is that they are wonderful human beings.”

What does Jessica think about the attention, especially the fact that her mom shared the story with a Skidmore writer? “Yeah, I asked mom about that after you interviewed me,” she says. “It’s so embarrassing, but I love her.” 

Those interested in learning more about Jessica’s efforts are welcome to email her.