The Healing Mission: A Mother’s Journey Through Grief and Purpose

From unimaginable loss to a mission of hope—this is my journey of honoring my son’s legacy and finding strength in purpose.

My name is Latorra, and I’m a proud wife and mother of two. I never planned to start a nonprofit, but life took me down a path I never expected. My son, Jacob, was just 13 years old when he was diagnosed with cancer, and from that moment on, our lives changed forever.

It all started with knee pain. Jacob was tall—six feet at 13—and played basketball, so I thought it was just a sports injury. The doctor told us it was growing pains, gave him ibuprofen, and said to stretch and ice it. But two weeks later, Jacob came home and went straight to bed, saying his knee was hurting worse than ever. When I touched it, it was red and burning up. My husband didn’t hesitate—he told me, Take him back now and demand an MRI. Something is wrong.

We got the MRI, and early the next morning, my phone rang. They told us to bring him back to the hospital immediately. I knew then that this wasn’t just a knee injury. When the doctors told us your son has cancer, my whole world stopped. I cried. I prayed. I begged God, please let my baby survive this.

But as a mother, I had no choice but to wipe my tears and get ready for battle. I told myself, we’re going to fight, and Jacob is going to beat this. He fought hard—never complained, never asked “why me?” He stayed strong, even when things got worse. Even when they put him on hospice, I still believed he was going to pull through. Doctors don’t have the final say—God does! But just 77 days after his diagnosis, and only 30 days after his 14th birthday, my sweet boy took his last breath. It was a Friday. I will never forget that day.

While we were in the hospital, I saw so many families going through the same thing. I saw parents holding onto hope, siblings trying to understand, and kids fighting for their lives. It broke my heart. I knew I had to do something. That’s when God gave me the vision for Jacob Way—a nonprofit to support not just the child fighting cancer, but the whole family. Because when a child is diagnosed, the whole family is affected.

Jacob was the strongest, most positive person I knew. He had the brightest smile, the biggest heart, and he never let cancer take away his joy. I know he’s in heaven, running free and watching over us. Jacob Way is my healing, my purpose, and my way of keeping his legacy alive. Helping other families who are going through what I went through has given me a reason to keep going.

This blog, The Healing Mission, is where I will share my journey—the ups and downs of running a nonprofit, what I’ve learned about fundraising and community support, and most importantly, how I take care of myself while carrying this mission forward. My hope is that my story gives you strength, inspiration, and maybe even a little peace.

If you are grieving, if you are searching for purpose, just know this—there is strength in purpose.

Jacob’s legacy lives on through Jacob Way Organization, and I know he is smiling down on all the lives we will touch in his honor. To learn more about our mission, visit www.jacobway.org.