“I haven’t come this far to only come this far”

Jack Morgan with his parents

A 22–year-old who was cared for by North London Hospice before dying of cancer last summer has inspired a social media campaign with over 25,000 followers.

Jack Morgan blogged about his experience of having cancer on his Instagram account, with an honesty and determination that led to support from over 25,000 people from all over the world, including Manchester United footballer Paul Pogba and musician Craig David.

Jack had beaten stage 3 cancer, but when it returned and chemo was unsuccessful he embarked on a clinical trial in Belgium in March 2019 and began receiving support from North London Hospice, who provided symptom relief. Dr Jo Brady and nurse Kevin Yates visited Jack regularly at his home in Barnet, north London, to help with his symptom management.

Jack had a passion for AI (artificial intelligence) and the science behind it, and during his illness he put his knowledge and experience together and worked with Bradley Gudger to create an app called Alike to bring people affected by cancer together.

“He was totally selfless and always wanted to help others,” said Grant, Jack’s dad.

“Jack and Dr Jo are angels on Earth” he added. “Jo was, and still is, an incredible support. Jack had a phenomenal brain and it felt like he knew more about his condition than many medical professionals. He wanted to understand what was happening to him and shared his experiences with the wider world.”

In the summer it was suggested Jack go to the hospice’s in-patient unit for a week to get specialist care. “He didn’t want to go but Dr Jo explained that many people come for symptom management and then go home. And when we arrived it had a very homely environment. The staff were phenomenal; the nurses so caring. We as a family have never experienced anything like that level of care and compassion before.”

After a week Jack left the hospice and spent two weeks in hospital before returning home in August, where he received the devastating news that the clinical trial hadn’t worked.

“Jack really wanted to be at home and we wanted him there too” Grant said. “He needed specialist equipment and the hospice just made it happen. They took all the stress of the admin and phone calls away and arranged all the things he needed.”

Jack died at home at 1.30 am on August 26, surrounded by his family. “He’d made the decision to pass on this particular fight, to part company with his nemesis and focus his energies elsewhere. The hospice provided a nurse on that night and she was there to make things that bit easier for Jack and all of us” Grant said.

“People perceive that a hospice is all about end-of-life care… but it’s so much more than that. Our own experience is testament to this. Five months after Jack passed, we still have a relationship with North London Hospice.”

Dr Jo added: “Jack truly was a remarkable young man who, through his brilliant brain, taught me lots about science and we negotiated treatment plans collaboratively.

“But more than that he taught me to live life as fully as possible, to keep fighting for a better day and the power of sharing stories. I feel lucky to have spent time with him and his family and am eternally grateful for their support of the hospice. He leaves a footprint in my heart.”

A graduate of Bristol University, their Department of Engineering and Maths has since created the Jack Morgan Award for Ardour in his memory. This was a proud moment for his family, as was attending Jack’s graduation ceremony posthumously on his behalf in February this year. Parents Grant and Emma and his three siblings, Joshua, 22, and 18-year-old twins Charlotte and Sam were all there.

The Morgan family and Jack’s friends have raised thousands of pounds for causes and charities that supported Jack, including North London Hospice, which received over £9000 from a football tournament arranged by his best friend Teddie in November 2019.

Throughout his illness Jack’s mantra became “I haven’t come this far to only come this far” and this powerful message is being used on a new fashion collection created by the presenter of You, Me and the Big C and Girl vs Cancer, Lauren Mahon. A quarter of the proceeds from the collection will be donated to North London Hospice.

A social media campaign with the hashtag #BeMoreJack launched on February 29, the extra day this leap year, encouraging people to use this day to do good. Hundreds of people pledged to do or start something positive on the day in honour of Jack, and the campaign continues to garner support, including coverage in Happiful.

Additionally fundraising is underway to bring the Alike app to market in the coming year, and Jack will be made an Honorary Patron. It’s one of many projects the Morgan family have planned as part of his legacy.