Charette family is being featured in April for ‘Courage in The County’
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — In 2004, Jason Charette began having serious headaches and was frequently sick to his stomach. After a CT scan, doctors discovered a significant sized tumor on his brain and he was diagnosed with Astrocytomas brain cancer. It was not curable.
At the time of his diagnosis, Jason was 28 years old. He had surgery to remove half of the tumor and continued to have numerous appointments at The Aroostook Medical Center and monthly trips to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Charette’s cancer was caused by a rare genetic disease called NF1, or neurofibromatosis type 1.
After he began having seizures, his family decided that it was time to let hospice take place. Jason passed away two years after his diagnosis, at the age of 30. Ten years later, his widow Jenny and daughter Natalie, along with his sister Dawn, nephew Hunter and the rest of the family, continue to be a consistent source of inspiration for those dealing with a loss from this terrible disease.
Before he passed, Jason was able to participate in a Relay-for-Life event. Jenny and her family have continued the tradition ever since.
“It makes us feel like we’re doing something for him; honoring him. He would have done that for somebody else,” said Jenny Charette. “He would have been the first one to step up to the plate and make sure that we were taking care of somebody else. So we do it in the hopes that another family doesn’t have to go through what we have.”
She said that Jason was one of a kind. He never put himself first. It was always about who needed him more, and he was always there. “We do the things we do to keep his memory alive,” she said, “because he would do those things.”
Natalie, Jason and Jenny’s daughter, was only 2 years old when she lost her father. Now 13, she is always finding new ways to remember and honor him.
“For his birthdays and Father’s day we go visit him at the cemetery and we write messages on balloons and send them up to Heaven,” Natalie said.
Dawn Charette lost her brother, and her son Hunter lost a pretty special uncle when Jason passed. They continue to lead by example, just like the rest of the family, when it comes to coping with loss. Families of those lost to cancer often say that ‘missing them’ never goes away. It doesn’t really get easier; it just becomes a different way of living.
Hunter keeps his uncle’s picture in plain sight for a reason.
“We have a picture of him downstairs. When I sleep there I look at him and it’s like he’s looking down on me. It makes me feel….happy,” Hunter said.
The Charette family is being featured in April for Courage in The County, a series that spotlights local individuals and families who have shown great courage in fighting this terrible disease, and also encourages efforts that lead to early detection and promotes activities that support local cancer patients.
Courage in The County is a collaboration between TAMC, Northern Maine Medical Center, Clukey’s Auto Supply, NorState Federal Credit Union and WAGM-TV.
