On June 9, local residents collected more than $25,000 at the third annual Contractor’s for a Cause Spring Gala, benefiting the Justin W. Jennings Foundation. That increased the foundation’s total funding to about $300,000 so far — money that ultimately will go toward building a beach house for patients dealing with terminal cancer and their families.
Coastal Point • SUSAN LYONS:
Becky D'Amico, Rosemary Garr, Tom D'Amico and George and Nicole Meringolo enjoy the festivities during the third annual Contractor’s for a Cause Spring Gala.
Justin Jennings passed away from brain cancer at age 19, in the summer of 2000. He’d enjoyed summers and as many weekends as possible in Bethany Beach with his immediate and extended family during his short life.
It was there as a youngster, with his brother, that he’d watched the girls walk down the beach in their “zucchinis”; where he’d taught his cousin Jessie how to swim; and where he’d spent his happiest days, even in his darkest hours.
He never complained about his situation, despite enduring countless treatments, and always maintained an unflinching sense of optimism, according to his mother, Mary Ellen Nantais. When the doctors told him that the treatments wouldn’t save him but could only prolong his life, Justin wasn’t convinced.
“Justin had a fighting spirit,” Nantais said.
He loved body boarding and surf-fishing with his older brother Adam, spending time with friends and, ultimately, wanted to help families when he graduated from Penn State University’s Delaware County Campus with a psychology degree.
Justin was diagnosed with brain cancer four weeks before his freshman year and yet he kept his eye on the prize. He went on to achieve a 3.5 grade point average, without anyone outside his family knowing of his illness.
He didn’t want any special treatment or any sympathy because he was sick. Instead, he just wanted to be treated like anyone else.
One time, his mother recalled, they were dining as a family at a restaurant in Bethany, when Justin noticed a female server staring at the large surgical scar on his head. He’d told the girl that the scar was from a shark attack, stating that he’d rather be known for being attacked by a shark than fighting cancer.
Justin completed a year and half of college before his illness began to progressively get worse. In January of 2000, Justin was given a month or less to live. Penn State University, now aware of his predicament, awarded him a certificate of accomplishment.
It wasn’t quite what he wanted, but he’d accomplished more than anyone could have asked. Justin rallied and spent time with his brother and friends down south in Florida and Alabama before the inevitable happened.
He and his family had made the trip down from hometown of Landenberg, Pa., which lies along the Pennsylvania-Delaware border, for Memorial Day weekend when Justin’s health began to fail. His mother said she could tell something was wrong when he let her drive to wherever it was that they were going.
“He never let me drive anywhere,” Nantais said.
Further tests indicated that he was going blind. Justin battled through another bout of chemotherapy in that time, and it was then that he made his mother promise him that she wouldn’t let him die in a hospital. Three weeks later, on a Sunday, Justin passed away.
His mother said that her son wouldn’t want to be called courageous, but that was the only word that she could find to summarize him.
“He was very courageous,” she said. “He never asked, ‘Why me?’”
And in a memorial to his life, Contractors for a Cause, in conjunction with the Justin W. Jennings Foundation, will do what Justin was never able to do himself — help families in need.
In the next year and half, local contractors hope to break ground on a beach house for cancer patients and their families. There, the supporters expect, the families can forget about treatments and leave their worries at the door of a lavish, all-expense paid week-long vacation at the beach.
Justin loved the beach and the time he’d spent with his family in Bethany. Nantais said the beach visits were good for the whole family because — as anyone who has ever dealt with cancer, directly or indirectly knows — the experience isn’t easy for anyone involved.
“Cancer takes so much from the person (affected), but also from the people around it,” Nantais explained. “We were fortunate to have a place down here. But to be able to bring a family (that’s dealing with cancer) down here for some good ol’ fashioned fun at the beach, to enjoy each other and have a good time, would be a breath of fresh air.
“Then they can put everything on the back burner at least for a week and, hopefully, it will make it (the illness) a lot easier to get through,” she added.
Mike Cummings — co-chairman of the Justin W. Jennings Foundation and Contractors for a Cause, as well as the force behind Miken Builders — was already a friend of the Jennings family, but it wasn’t until Justin came to work for him briefly at his Ocean View construction business that they developed their own relationship.
“Justin always wanted to experience the construction business,” Cummings recalled.
“I knew his family, but this was a great opportunity to get to know Justin personally. It’s unbelievable how profound a young person can be, even though they were dying.”
Justin wanted to become a family counselor, according to his mother, and though no one could ever replace his love and passion for helping other people the local community, the foundation’s supporters hope that their efforts will carry on his life wishes.
“We’re just following through with Justin’s wishes,” Cummings said. “He was a courageous young man, and he’s inspired the whole community.”
“Justin wanted to help families with his psychology major and, hopefully, in the end, we’re doing him some justice,” Nantais said.
In addition to the money raised to this point by local residents, local businesses have also pledged their services for the beach house. Building supply sellers, construction firms and landscapers, among others, have committed their services when the time comes to get the house constructed and ready for families to enjoy.
“Our community, in general, are wonderful people,” Nantais said. “I just can’t say enough about them.