Our Story
The day
everything changed
In 2014, a diagnosis turned the Nettleton family's world upside down. Their community's response became the blueprint for everything Footprints of Fight does today.
When Mason was diagnosed, their community showed up
In 2014, Jake and Briana Nettleton received news that changed everything: their four-year-old son Mason had been diagnosed with cancer. What followed was one of the hardest seasons of their lives. But in the middle of it, something remarkable happened. Their community showed up.
Friends, family, teammates, and strangers rallied around them with a kind of love and support they never expected — and never had to ask for. That experience never left them. In 2016, Jake and Briana founded Footprints of Fight to do for other families what their community did for them — a commitment to help other families fight.
Why "Footprints of Fight"
Carried through the storm, even when you can't see it
Our name comes from the poem Footprints in the Sand, which speaks of being carried through a season of struggle without realizing it until later. That's exactly what we strive to do for the families we serve, and what we hear from them most often: after the storm, they look back and see that we were there, carrying them and fueling their fight, even in the moments they felt most scared and alone.
Our mission is simple
To provide stress-relieving support services, free of charge, to Washington State families navigating pediatric cancer diagnosis and treatment. Relieving the practical burdens of everyday life so families can focus on their family and their child with cancer.
Where we're headed
Toward helping every family who needs us
This year, we're working to serve 125 pediatric cancer families across Washington State. Our long-term vision is to one day reach every local family who needs us — approximately 350 families every year.
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families - this years goal
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How We Show Up
Support that is personal
We offer a range of services and work with each family to provide what they need most, based on their unique story and circumstances.
Support through the fight
We provide monthly support for the full duration of a child's active cancer treatment — for most families, six months to a year.
Support without judment
We meet qualifying families where they are, in their time of most need — no questions asked and no strings attached.
