“No chemo, radiation, or clinical trial drug is more powerful than love, support, or friendship.” 

—Denis Murphry 1/26/26

These powerful words aren’t just a quote; they are a way of life for Denis Murphy, the founder of Friends of Jaclyn. 

In 2004, Jaclyn Murphy was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor. The sports-loving girl was given a 30% chance of survival. On the ninth floor of the hospital, Denis would point to a lacrosse photo on the wall every day and say, “That will be you one day.” 

Jaclyn’s coach reached out to a friend, an assistant coach on the Northwestern Women’s Lacrosse team. The response was immediate, and the team adopted Jaclyn as an honorary member. In 2005, the Friends of Jaclyn Foundation was born.

“Everything with us is organic. We want to improve the quality of life of children who may never get to join a team. I didn’t go to college thinking I would be running a non-profit, but I’m a doer.” Murphy said.

Murphy’s drive to help not only his daughter but also other children like her has blossomed into the organization it is today. 1,308 children have entered the organization. Friends of Jaclyn offers four distinct programs. 

First is the adoption program. This program matches a child with a college team. The child is adopted as an honorary team member. The team provides love and support. This program has grown large. A PDF of the participating teams is 5.5 pages. Recently, Friends of Jaclyn has expanded to NASCAR with Connor Mosack and Sheldon Creed.

“Unfortunately, siblings of pediatric cancer patients are overlooked,” Murphy said. 

The second program is for siblings. It’s called Safe on the Sidelines. This program pairs healthy siblings with their own teams. This way, they are supported in scary times.

“We’ve had 1308 children in the program. 304 have passed away. I’ve seen many small caskets, and that’s a cloud that will never leave me.” Murphy said.

A parent losing a child is a pain many haven’t endured. That’s what the third program is about. It’s called Guardian Angel. The program is designed for those who sign up to send their love and support to families. This includes when a child goes to hospice, the time when families need support the most. Anyone can sign up at this email angel@friendsofjaclyn.org. 

“I’m a survivor of pancreatic cancer. My daughter survived medulloblastoma. When you get that diagnosis, your life becomes MRI to MRI. Getting no evidence of disease is cause for celebration.” Murphy said.

Celebration is the key to the fourth program, No Evidence of Disease or NED. The website describes the program best. Our vision for the NEDvocate program will help to unify everyone affected by disease and form one community dedicated to inspiring and supporting one another.

Friends of Jaclyn is more than a sponsor; it’s a hope for a child and family battling cancer. If you’d like to learn more, please visit their website at https://friendsofjaclyn.org.