Blind Cancer Survivor Raises Funds for Kids With Cancer

A Chicago college student who lost his sight to cancer is helping ensure other kids might not face the same battle.

Jake Scheid was diagnosed with bilateral retinoblastoma just before his second birthday. Years of treatment eventually took his vision, but they couldn't touch his spirit or his determination to turn his experience into something meaningful.

Now 20, Jake participates in St. Baldrick's, an annual head-shaving event around St. Patrick's Day that raises money for childhood cancer research. For most participants, it's a generous act of solidarity. For Jake, it's deeply personal.

Growing up in the St. John Fisher Catholic Parish on Chicago's South Side, Jake refused to let blindness define his limits. He became the long snapper for his grammar school football team from fifth through eighth grade. "I was out there every day at practice," Jake said. "It was so fun. I'll never forget it."

Those football years helped him break out of his shell and build confidence that would carry him far beyond the South Side. When it came time for college, Jake surprised his family by choosing Louisiana State University.

His mother Beth remembers the shock. "I remember saying to my girlfriend, 'Well, you know Jake got into LSU,' and she looked at me and goes, 'Well, what are you going to do?'"

Jake uses a cane to navigate campus, and LSU partnered him with visual aids to help him learn new spaces. Now a sophomore nearly halfway to his bachelor's degree, he says everything has gotten so much easier.

Sunny's Take

What makes Jake's story shine isn't just his academic success or his fundraising work. It's his refusal to see himself as limited. He wanted a big school experience, so he made it happen. He wanted to play football, so he showed up to practice every day. He wanted to help other kids facing cancer, so he keeps shaving his head and raising awareness.

Jake carries his St. Baldrick's mission with him wherever he goes. While cancer took his physical sight, it gave him a different kind of vision: the ability to see what's possible when you decide your circumstances don't get the final word.

His family, friends, and faith community have supported him every step of the way, but Jake's independence keeps growing. He's proof that the path less chosen can lead somewhere extraordinary, especially when it's walked with humor, determination, and a heart for helping others.