Ask his friends and family to describe Jesse, and one word always comes up: generous. This thoughtful 18-year-old loves to put others before himself, even though he’s the one who’s fighting leukemia.

Case in point: when he was given a shopping spree by Make-A-Wish, the first things he purchased were new shoes for his parents and then toys for the other kids at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. “That’s just the way Jesse is,” said his dad Jesus. “He’s a wonderful boy.”

During his 8-month hospital stay, Jesse says he was really grateful for the company of his Chemo Pal Jordan and the MyMusicRx Specialists. “Every day that they came, it gave me something to look forward to,” he said. “It really helped keep my mind off all the stuff I was going through.”

These days, Jesse is looking forward to heading to college and studying business. But first he had a few words of advice to share: “There’s always a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. “Whatever you’re going through, don’t give up.”