Teenager Gives $5,000 To Help Classmate Fighting Brain Cancer

At the age of 13, most boys spend their money on new video games, sneakers, or maybe clothes, but they usually don’t donate it for a good cause. However, Jesse Kaufman showed maturity beyond his years by taking all of the money he was given at his Bar Mitzvah and donating it to a classmate fighting brain cancer.

He didn’t know his classmate, Jasmine Boden, had been diagnosed with brain cancer until he read about it in a local newspaper. As Yahoo! reported, Jasmine was diagnosed with a rare form of brain tumor, called Chordoma, when she was nine years old. Jesse’s mother, Liana, said her son, who was in fourth grade at the time, was moved by the story. “He thought she was so brave. At the time he gave me all the money he had — $20 — to send to her, and he wrote her a letter, too.”

The next year, the fifth graders were in the same class at Gateway Middle School and, although they didn’t know each other (and Jasmine never responded to his letter), Jesse went up to her and told her he thought she was a hero. They became good friends afterward.

This year in August, Jesse celebrated his Bar Mitzvah and his parents told him he could use some of his money however he wanted and the rest would be put aside for college. He told his mother that he wanted to do a Bar Mitzvah “mitzvah,” which means he wanted to do a good deed. His mother recounts what Jesse requested.

“He said, ‘I want to take every penny I get and put it towards Jasmine’s medical expenses. It’s the least I can do for them.'”

He received about $4,800 at his Bar Mitzvah and his parents chipped in another $200 to make it an even $5,000. Jesse donated it all to help with Jasmine’s medical expenses, which includes a trip to a Boston hospital for treatment.

As CBS News Pittsburgh reported, Jasmine has had three surgeries since her brain cancer was diagnosed, including one that fused her skull to her neck. Her mother, Lisa McClintock, said Jesse has helped her daughter in two ways.

“Actually, like missed almost two years of school, but two years socially as well. So, he helped her in two ways — monetary, you know, money, and also just being such a good friend.”

Jesse isn’t a bit concerned about the money.

“I knew I would get money in the future and to me it feels more good giving someone something instead of receiving something. So I decided to give her the money.”

He has also opened a GoFundMe account to raise more money to help Jasmine in her quest against the cancer.

It’s not every day that teenagers give up money for others; usually, it is adults giving to help children and those in need. The Inquisitr reported about a family who donated $100,000 in honor of their deceased daughter. However, Jesse Kaufman shows how compassionate some teens can be by donating money he could have easily kept for himself.