Jamie's Legacy
Founder of the Jamie’s Hope Foundation
1982 – 2019
Jamie’s Hope was founded in honor of Jamie Lynn Gilmore, a woman whose courage, resilience, and unwavering hope shaped the heartbeat of this organization. Born in the Houston area in 1982, Jamie spent most of her life navigating a rare form of cancer, Acinic Cell Carcinoma, first diagnosed at just 14 years old.
Jamie's Story
In 1996, at the age of 14, Jamie discovered a small nodule in front of her ear. Jamie’s local ENT believed the small nodule was a cyst. Lab samples were submitted to Pathology following Jamie’s 6 hour operation to remove the nodule. Pathology results diagnosed the nodule as Acinic Cell Carcinoma. Following diagnosis, Jamie was referred to a local doctor who advised against radiation due to Jamie’s age and the small size of the nodule.
In 2002, at the age of 20, another small nodule appeared in the same location. Jamie was then referred to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, TX for treatment. Surgery was scheduled to remove the mass. Prior to Jamie’s surgery routine labs were performed. The morning of the operation, Jamie was given the surprising news that her hormones were slightly elevated indicating pregnancy. Consequently, surgery was canceled and Jamie returned home with her family. Doctors closely monitored Jamie throughout her pregnancy as the mass was growing very rapidly. Due to the cancer, Jamie was induced at 38 weeks and gave birth to a beautiful and perfect daughter, Mikala.
On January 23, 2003 Jamie endured her most challenging operation: a 12 hour operation to remove the mass and reconstruct her neck and facial area affected by the cancer. Following the surgery, Jamie underwent radiation treatment of the affected area for 6 weeks. Since that surgery and radiation treatments, Jamie never suffered a relapse of cancer in the facial or neck region again.
In 2005, at the age of 23, Jamie suspected she had suffered a sports injury in her hip area. After several doctor appointments and numerous tests Jamie was informed of a new mass in her pelvis. Jamie was again referred to MD Anderson Cancer Center for treatment. Jamie underwent surgery to remove part of the bone including six weeks of radiation.
In 2008 feeling strong and optimistic, Jamie began training for the local Susan G. Komen Marathon. Unfortunately, this was to be short-lived; she suffered a fractured hip, resulting in a partial hip replacement. It was time for routine check-ups with her doctors.
In May of 2012, Jamie received the news of another cancer recurrence in her pelvis. Multiple tests revealed several new locations in Jamie’s right pelvic area, left ischium, and lymph nodes. The cancer had once again returned. Today’s medical technology doesn’t provide a standardized treatment option for the rare cancer that continued to plague Jamie’s body. Jamie received chemotherapy at MD Anderson through clinical trials in their Targeted Therapy Department for over 2 ½ years. She had “stable” results while enduring numerous side effects but she continued to fight.
In December of 2014, Jamie personally declared war on her fight against cancer and made the choice to LIVE and change her life! For the next 2 ½ years Jamie fought her cancer with lifestyle by using the Gerson Therapy method, eating a plant based diet, mediation, and LIVING. She fell off the wagon and hit rock bottom several times, but she never gave up and each time came back stronger! Jamie had become a true inspiration to many even people without cancer!
In 2017 Jamie’s cancer spread to her skull bone, collar bone, left femur, large area in her left pelvic bone, and that the original areas have worsened. Jamie spent most of 2017 at home on hospice due to numerous hospitalizations from pain and displacement because of flooding from Hurricane Harvey. At the end of 2017, Jamie had a couple bad falls which caused her left femur to become lodged into her pelvic bone and due to the cancer it was unable to be reconstructed.
In 2018 wanting to walk again Jamie came off Hospice to continue her fight. She started an immunotherapy treatment and continued to live a healthy lifestyle in hopes to eradicate or reduce the cancer so she could have a hip reconstruction.
After years of admirable resilience and extraordinary combat, Jamie passed away on June 20th, 2019. Though she is no longer with us, her story and her strength lives on and inspires us daily. Through Jamie’s remarkable resistance and drive, she gave us the greatest gift of all, a legacy of hope. A legacy that will survive the days and years, and the trials and tribulations. A legacy that builds a community and empowers our strength. A legacy to doubtlessly and unquestionably, hope. Together, we can make change. Together, we can change the world. Together, we can end cancer.
Jamie’s impact didn’t end with her passing in 2019. The organization she built continues to reflect her values: compassion, resilience, innovation, and a belief that hope is powerful medicine. Today, Jamie’s Hope advances the research she believed in and provides meaningful support to families navigating the realities of cancer, from uplifting programs to moments of joy, relief, and connection during treatment.
