A Brother’s Gift Helps Young Boy Beat Cancer Twice with Help from Holtz Children’s Hospital

By: Krysten Brenlla

At just 14, Jake Alexander Kleppen is known on Instagram as a “victorious warrior” – a title he’s earned by facing cancer not once, but twice.

“I never felt any symptoms – all we noticed was my eye,” he said. “It was swelling a lot, and I was originally diagnosed with hypertropia when I was 8.”

Hypertropia is a condition where one eye turns upward. But when Jake’s pediatrician took a closer look, she noticed something was off. She sent him to the emergency room for testing, where doctors made a life-changing discovery.

“He was actually suffering from Ewing sarcoma,” said Marisel Jarrin Kleppen, Jake’s mother. “Never did I imagine we would leave the hospital with a cancer diagnosis.”

Ewing sarcoma is an aggressive soft tissue cancer that usually appears in the limbs, hips, or chest. For Jake, it appeared in his eye, which is extremely rare.

“At that point, he was already stage three,” Marisel said. “Had we waited any longer, who knows what would’ve happened.”

Thankfully, in September 2019, Jake found a specialized pediatric cancer team at Holtz Children’s Hospital.

“We targeted his cancer with 11 months of chemotherapy and 31 rounds of proton beam radiation, which is very precise,” Marisel said. “It affected the symmetry of his face, vision, teeth, and even cognition. But still, he fights through that – he’s super smart and never gives up.”

Eventually, Jake rang the bell at Holtz Children’s – he was cancer-free. He returned home to his family and friends, celebrating nearly five years of remission.

“I felt so free – I felt amazing,” Jake said.

But toward the end of 2024, after a week at Civil Air Patrol camp, Jake felt sick.

“I gave him Advil, and told him to go to sleep. The next morning, he woke up in a puddle of sweat,” Marisel said. “I knew immediately that we had to go to the hospital.”

In December, Jake was diagnosed with his second form of cancer – leukemia, a blood and bone marrow cancer where abnormal white blood cells crowd out the healthy ones, making it hard for the body to fight infections, stop bleeding, or carry oxygen.

“They did the blood test, and they noticed that his white blood cells were basically non-existent,” Marisel said. “All his numbers were low, and in my head, I didn’t want to think it was cancer. But I just knew it wasn’t normal.”

Jake was referred back to Holtz Children’s to fight cancer a second time.

“Unfortunately, the leukemia was caused by the treatments he received to fight off his original cancer,” said David Crawford, MD, director of pediatric stem cell transplantation at Holtz Children’s and UHealth – University of Miami Health System. “But Jake will be a unique child who survives two different malignancies.”

His new treatment plan included chemotherapy and a targeted drug called blinatumomab, which uses the body’s immune system to attack leukemia cells, in hopes of reaching remission.

Once Jake was in remission, the search for a bone marrow donor began – and against all odds, his brother, Justin, was a perfect match.

“The first time Jake was diagnosed with cancer, I was devastated,” Justin said. “I couldn’t believe he had to go through this a second time, but I knew I had to stay strong. When I found out I was a match to be his bone marrow donor, I was so excited.”

On May 12, 2025, after months of preparation that included immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and full-body radiation, Jake was ready for his bone marrow transplant.

“Being Jake’s donor is going to give us a bigger and better bond, and I’m just excited for him to get better afterward,” Justin said.

“Having Justin as my donor means we’re really blood bonded now,” Jake said. “I’m so grateful.”

Within six weeks, Jake’s team hopes he’ll be able to go home. And within a year, they’re optimistic he’ll fully recover with a new immune system from his brother.

“At Holtz Children’s, we have outstanding pediatric cancer care and cutting-edge treatment options,” Dr. Crawford said. “Jake and his family are wonderful people – we’re hopeful that he’ll survive this and feel like himself again.”

“I tell other kids who may be going through something similar to always see the good in everything,” Jake said. “It’s not going to be easy, but always try to find the silver lining, and you’ll be okay. I know I will.”